Author's Note

Ah, you've made to chapter three of Fireflower's fanfic that goes beyond the typical oneshots made from before, a Mature fanfic no less on the grounds that a previous chapter has dealt with a heavy subject matter proven to be unsuitable for those under eighteen, easily offended, and/or quickly nauseated; suffice to say, this was by far a strong note for many readers all and therefore you were all given an option to skip ahead to this chapter: whether or not you have taken this offer, it was only up to you to do so nothing more.

As always, My Little Pony, or rather Friendship Is Magic, including its settings and characters belong to Lauren Faust and Hasbro; however, this concept of my fanfic belongs to me so I will say this line one time only: please do not steal this story or I will sue.

Lastly, let me also say that I hope you enjoy this chapter now more than the others and still have the strength to continue onward in staying tuned for future chapters later; henceforth, I will leave you with but one saying only: thank you very much.

Alexia

The blonde found herself being awoken to purity from her otherwise deep slumber, her jade eyes flying wide open as she was quickly gasping only for air no less; at this moment in time, the very occupant in question took the small time to find many changes in the encroaching environment. Surrounding her were a quartet of walls padded with white and already arranged in a strict pattern to be seen; however, there were but only two exceptions to this rather monochrome style: one a window behind providing natural light and another a door up front with a small window. Below the blonde was a floor dressed in the scheme of a common checkerboard, save for the squared edges where their dimensions proved themselves to be anything but equiangular no less. Above her was only a lonely light bulb that had hung from the ceiling remaining off for it was not even in use; of course, even her weary eyes altogether could see that particular fact already. Nearby the blonde was a simple pair of sandals resting soundlessly about at the opposite corner of the very walls from where their owner had been laying aside earlier to say the least no less. All that had remained was the oxygen that surrounded her very presence, providing only life and energy to start the day in any form and fashion whatsoever befitting of the occupant in question.

Just as though the sounds of the blonde breathing were all that kept her company, a new sound permeated throughout the dulled atmosphere: the erratic ringing of metal rapidly clanging against another resounded within both eardrums; suddenly, that echo quickly subsided within due time. As if on cue, she started to stand upwardly on two bare feet, brushing off whatever had been attached to her thick white gown adorned on her very body with a pair of free hands all at once. The blonde struggled to look at the ground below as she walked towards the doorway up in front; although the tears of last night were now dried away, a weary frown still remained on her face. She looked out from the glass a found a light teal hallway made up of many doors up in front, each of them possessing a surface composed of a different texture compared to the walls inside. Suddenly, the blonde heard footfalls nearby, its sound being of softened leather treading lightly against the hard floor coming from outside the room that she was already in suffice to say. Backing away carefully, she stood a few inches away from the egress so as to divert whatever potential suspicion that the traveler would have instantly noticed all at once coming from her.

As the blonde slouched against the rear wall, the light from the door was then quickly obscured, the outsider’s footfalls being replaced by the likes of jingle jangle from the thin scraps of metal; then, they had found an entrance within moments: a singular click had led to a circular turn around itself.

“Applejack…?” a grizzled voice was spoken up as the crack in the door had started to grow wider a bit slowly, causing her ears to be perking up on endwise upon hearing the name in question.

Trudging towards the epicenter of the room, Applejack slowly whimpered about with little time, “yeah, it’s me… what goes on here?”

“Rise and shine; breakfast has just started already so eat up…” the outsider answered quickly as a small tray slid through the cracks as the angling grew wider, “also, I have just received a letter addressed to you from someone.”

“Who’s it from?” the timid blonde had replied as she gotten ahold of the very tray at hand: a bowl and cup filled with whatever substance alongside a clean spoon and a white envelope; aside from the paper, the contents were made up a solid plastic as both hands carried them all.

As she started to set it down on the floor gently, an answered was heard within only seconds, “can’t say; just eat…”

The egress in front of Applejack had been instantly shut up again as she now found only but peace and quiet into the very room once again; afterwards, she took the time to pick up the letter off the tray and rip it open to find something within: a piece of paper carefully folded into shape. Finding a small wall of text inscribed across the very way, the blonde focused her attention on what was about to be read rather than the small meal which had been presented to her already. Slowly, a deep breath was exhaled from her as she then began to sit down, concentrating any bit of energy on the paper within her grasp steadily with eyelid encroaching around the jade orbs.

“Dear Applejack,” the eponymous observer quickly read the words as she took it from the top, “this is the hardest letter that I have even written, much more than the one report to the princess. Many of us were happy and hoped that you were being okay in spite of the town undergoing even more pain and sadness. I am touched that you had found me to be the only person keeping you going even after all that you been through and remember of how you were sad to find me all helpless and lonesome. The first thing that I had seen opening my eyes was your tears falling onto my face and ever since then, you have been alongside me in the dreams and nightmares even though you’re far away and that Zecora is only keeping me safe. I had never even thought of living with her as my mentor while you were taken in to get better and whatnot until now but now I still miss you even more than ever. Please forgive me for the tears that are messing up this letter for even the pain I had felt when we were separated still haunts me more than before. I hope and wish from the bottom of all my heart that we can see each other again soon enough and find a new place where we can all stay, free of this pain.

With love and best wishes, XOXO

Your Dear Sister, Apple Bloom.

P.S. – Please write back to me soon enough when you get this.”

When the blonde had reached the end of this letter, she decided to set it back down on the floor; at that moment, a deluge of tears was ready to unfold as the sole paper has now been laid aside. Reading that name appear on the penultimate line made her all too aware of the situation Applejack was in: her relationship was growing distant, the walls of her home felt like closing in, and the life had felt like being extinguished from where they were. The blonde did not find the letter to be of a glimmering light resembling that of the outside world at all but instead of great despair to say the very least already. All that she was feeling right now was only hopelessness tugging about to and fro to no end whatsoever, forcing herself to bury the tearstained face with the hands in front so that they would absorb the aftereffects. Applejack slowly found herself rocking forward and back against the padded as she wept silently, her pain permeating inside and outside her voice within every second of the way filling the atmosphere. The blonde rested her weary head onto the floor as she began to feel the achromatic streams of fluids fell from her eyes and soon started wiping them away despite the overwhelming moisture ever present on these hands.

Soon, she began to close her eyes once again, hoping to sleep away the feelings of sorrow overtaking her in clear disregard to the very light outside of these rather restrained confines suffice to say.