The Origins of an Apple's Blossem

“Consarn it Applebloom! Why’d y’ have to go ‘n’ do something so stupid as that?!” Applejack said in her panic as she reached down to check on the small yellow-coated and red-maned filly she’d named – and  upon noticing after she'd collapsed that she was not moving, totally limp, and only shallowly breathing, reached down and draped the filly across her own back.

Applejack started galloping as soon as she picked the unconscious filly up, heading towards Ponyville as she was followed closely by Apple Bloom’s two friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who had been there when it had happened.

“I swear she did it on her own!” Scootaloo said in her tomboyish accent, barely matching pace with the panicked Applejack galloping full-throttle towards Ponyville General Hospital by flapping her wings rapidly - a quiet flittering sound coming from the rate of her flapping.

“Is she gonna be…” Sweetie Belle asked before her voice cracked and broke mid-sentence, a quiet sob following. She struggled to keep up with the other two and see where they were going through tear-blurred vision, clearly very concerned about her friend's safety.

“Ahm sure she’ll be fine - she’s an Apple af’er all, an’ there ain’t no tougher family in Equestria then us!” Applejack said with pride - but the quiver in her voice at the end showed that even she had doubts about Apple Bloom’s condition, despite her boisterous statement.

It was a fairly long distance from Sweet Apple Acres to Ponyville, but Applejack knew she could run there in a matter of minutes, likely even less with the adrenaline pumping through her caused by the panic at what her little sister’s situation could be.

“Why’d ya have to do that Apple Bloom…?” Applejack asked, her vision growing blurred as tears came to her own eyes, making seeing the road ahead a bit of a challenge as she galloped on at full-speed towards town.

~

The quartet arrived at Ponyville Hospital about five minutes after Applejack had picked Apple Bloom up and started galloping, all but Apple Bloom panting from the exertion of running there.

“Doc...! Mah sister...needs help!” Applejack yelled out between pants, getting a sharp look from the nurse at the receptionist desk.

The look on the nurse’s face quickly faded from annoyance to one of concern as she looked at the still-unmoving form of Apple Bloom on Applejack’s back, noticing the light-gray tone of her coat instead of its usual bright-yellow.

“What happened?” the nurse asked, quickly ushering Applejack into an examination room and indicating for her to lay Apple Bloom onto the table.

“Well, Ah don’t really know. All Ah saw was Apple Bloom gulpin’ down somethin’ from a potion bottle that was bubblin’, then I saw her get a shocked look on her face ‘fore she went grey and collapsed. Y‘all can probably get more info from these‘uns.” Applejack waved a hoof at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, making both cower slightly as the nurse then looked over to them, clearly hoping for more information.

“L-like I said earlier, she did it on her own! I told her not to, but she’s so stubborn…” Scootaloo said, on the verge of tears as she struggled to keep them back.

“I…I…” Sweetie Belle stammered, trying to speak but unable to as her tears kept flowing, her emotional state making her mute.

“Well, I’m going to draw blood and take it to our lab to be examined. Whatever that potion was was obviously not instantly lethal, or she wouldn’t be alive right now.” The nurse retrieved a blood-siphoning needle and several empty vials from a nearby drawer with her magic before approaching Apple Bloom. “There is a possibility it’s a slow-action poison or magical effect, but only blood and magic tests will tell that. I sent another nurse to get our 'Magic' specialist and to tell him it’s an emergency, so he will be in very soon.”

~

The nurse had two vials of blood withdrawn from Apple Bloom by the time the unicorn doctor arrived. He promptly walked over to Apple Bloom and fed magic to his horn, a light-green aura appearing on it and lighting it up as he concentrated for a moment on a spell. A wide beam of magic then went from his horn and scanned over Apple Bloom’s form, his magic enveloping her as the doctor apparently checked for any forms of magical effects or contamination.

“Well, I can detect the effect the potion on her, but I am unsure as to how it actually modified her cells like that…” The doctor said after magically examining her for a minute, making the Applejack and the foals visibly tense. When he quickly detected their tension, he decided to be frank with them. “Apple Bloom here isn’t the first in here with a potion-induced mishap today, and I’m sure she’ll be fine... but according to my diagnosis spell, the potion has partially turned her to stone.”

Applejack wobbled slightly as she felt faint, the farm-mare nearly crashing to the floor if not for the levitation spell the doctor quickly cast to help her keep balanced, then quickly moving a chair over to her and helping her sit down before she fell down. “I know that sounds bad, but it doesn’t seem like the potion actually changed anything important to stone - just parts of her skin and coat.” Applejack suddenly collapsed to the floor as soon as these words were said, finally overtaken by the situation as her world turned black.

~ ~ ~

“…ack! Apple…! Appl...ack. Applejack!”

Applejack heard faintly her name being called as she opened her eyes, her vision white with the sudden burst of light into her eyes.

“Ugh!” Applejack moaned, moving a hoof to shield herself from the bright light.

“APPLEJACK, ARE YOU OK?!” The worried voice of Sweetie Belle asked in a high-pitched tone, the near-hysteria quite evident in the poor filly’s voice as it cracked multiple times throughout that simple sentence.

“Ahm…” Applejack moved her wobbly hooves underneath her as she moved to get up, then moments later stood with all four hooves on the floor. “...Ahm fine.” Sweetie Belle nearly collapsed in relief that Applejack was OK, sure that two hurt friends in the same day would be more then her little heart could take.

Applejack shook her head again to try and get rid of the slight ringing in her ears. “Ah just wasn’t prepared fer that. That was…just a might much fer me t’ take Ah guess…” Applejack said, rubbing her hoof against her head to quell the slight pain - having taken a small bop to her head when she’d hit the floor.

“Are we OK to discuss Apple Bloom further, or are you unsure if you can handle it?” The doctor asked as he again offered the Applejack a chair, which she graciously accepted. The doctor's horn was alight with his magical aura again and,unnoticed by Applejack- was that the same aura now surrounded Apple Bloom as well - him clearly working to cure her of what she'd caused to herself.

“Ah can handle it, it’s just…” Applejack trailed off as she noticed when the doctor's aura fade from Apple Bloom - leaving her no longer gray, but still unmoving. “It’s just hard for me to see my...uh...lil sis like this.” As she noticed her sister's color change, she decided to ask about it. "So why's she not gray no more?"

"Well, while you were unconscious and then recovering,  I cast a spell onto Apple Bloom to reverse the effects of the potion. I assured you this isn't really that big of a deal, and it probably isn't... but we're just going to run some blood tests to make sure my spell was right and the potion didn't have any non-magical, physical effects on her as well." the doctor answered. He then added, "The results should be in shortly, if you don't mind waiting here a half-hour or so."

Applejack looked to the other fillies and saw as they nodded, all knowing they couldn't sit right until she knew Apple Bloom was one-hundred-and-ten-percent OK.

"We c'n wait."

~

It was fifteen minutes more until Apple Bloom awoke, blinking wearily as bright light assaulted her vision, and when her vision cleared she looked around and noticed she was in a hospital room. As she then picked up on her friends a moment later, the small pony licked her lips before she tried to speak to them. "Scootaloo? Sweetie Belle? Why am Ah in a hospital?" the small pony asked as she noticed herself swiftly surrounded by the named fillies, and then a third, larger mare - her sister.

A hoof was placed on her chest, then a quick kiss was planted on Apple Bloom's forehead by Applejack, rough yet soft and loving at the same time.

"That's fer ya bein' alright." Applejack said.

Applejack then clunked Apple Bloom firmly on the head with her hoof, making the filly reach up and rub the struck spot.

"Ow! What was that fer?!" Apple Bloom exclaimed at the minor but unexpected pain.

"An' THAT was fer makin' me so worried 'bout you Ah fainted!" Applejack said, then quickly nuzzling against Apple Bloom's muzzle with her own. "Ahm just so glad yer OK now..."

"So wut happened?" Apple Bloom asked, still confused as to why she was in the hospital. "Las' thing Ah remember, Ah was testin' a potion Ah brewed to grow temporary wings and took a drink of it, then suddenly Ah felt all stiff and...blacked out."

"Well, that lil potion ya brewed pert-near turned you t' a pony statue! It changed part of you to stone!" Scootaloo exclaimed, making Apple Bloom flinch in response.

"T'...stone?! But Ah didn't add any cockatrice feather in...or did Ah...?" Apple Bloom asked, trying to remember just what she'd put into her concoction that would cause such a result.

"Either way, Ah think you should give Twilight or Zecora yer untested brews so they can verify they're safe next time before you chug 'em down?" Applejack told Apple Bloom more then suggested, getting a series of rapid nods from Apple Bloom in return.

Just then, the doctor returned with the blood results.