“Applejack? Er…what are you doing in my room?”

The mare woke up with a jolt hearing the familiar sound of her sister, who was in front of her with an expression of confusion.

“Oh! Applebloom! You” back from the boutique…wait…why did you come back?” Applejack jabbered.

“I came back just now to pick some cider up for Scootaloo. Even after Rainbow Dash came back and apologized to her she” still pretty broken.” Applebloom admitted.

“You know how strong that stuff is for fillies, right?”

“Don” worry. I purified it with more apple juice just like you taught me. I just hope that it isn’t too sweet. Anyways…why did you go sleeping in my room again? Don’t you have your own?”

Applejack got out of the covers and onto the floor, tossing aside the small blanket that she had to cope with during the night.

“Well, Rarity wasn’t feeling good after you three fell asleep in the boutique, and she asked me to bring her here. Unfortunately that storm came after she was planning to leave and she’s now resting at my room with Big Mac.”

“Rarity asked to come here? I thought that Sweetie Belle said that she hates nature!” Applebloom remarked.

“Sometimes things just pile up like a tower of hay bales and cause more and more stress with each pile. Haven’t you noticed that Rarity hasn’t been that well lately?”

“Well…she did keep rushing back and out into her room while we were in the boutique, ignoring everything that was around her. One minute she was helping us prepare dinner, the next locked in her bedroom. When I went upstairs to check up on her, I heard some weird jiggling sounds…”

“Don…Don” have any worries about that. I talked with her, and I think that she’s ok now. Could you do me a favor and wake Rarity up after I go? She needs to go back to the boutique.”

“Where are you going, Applejack?”

“To see Fluttershy. It’s my turn to go.”

“Oh, it is? Well, good luck to you, sister. Oh, I almost forgot! Do you think that we three could visit her as well someday? That cold can” last that long, right?” Applebloom happily chirped.

“Yeah…that cold won” last that long…I reckon. Maybe so Applebloom.” She turned by the door and closing it, sighed.

“Maybe so.”

She trotted over to the farm-field and picked up the saddlebag that was waiting for her. The flap fell open due to pressure and revealed several different varieties of apple desserts and snacks, along with some cushions and bed sheets that were partially withered due to their period of use, but dusted and cleaned.

“I have no clue what I should do there…do I offer some apple treats for her to sample, talk to her for a bit, then give her these cushions and blankets so that she can sleep more peacefully in that place? Gosh, this is even more troubling that when Granny lost her false teeth…” She pondered.

The squirrels scurried away as they saw the farm hand walking towards them. Their hands carried stolen nuts and berries from the trees beside her, and they squeaked nervously as she approached.

“Darn it…I never understood her love of these critters.”

She shooed them off and they scarpered away thankfully. She watched as the animals went into the tree holes, where their babies lay, still not fully matured and sleeping as they were fed.

“Oh…right. She once told me…or scolded me…that animals, like us ponies, no matter how brutal, powerful, or scary they were, still contain a substance of parenthood and kindness to their children and the surroundings around them.” She recalled.

She remembered how she chased down a couple of rats to a corner with her dog after they stole some of the farm’s most expensive golden apple seeds, only to find them standing still in a upright position, behind them their child, who trembled in fear while the parents remained impassive. They were willing to sacrifice themselves to her, the predator, to protect their offspring.

“Sacrifice…”

Applejack…

Applejack had stopped moving in her tracks. Her eyes were glazed as she started to drift off into a strange dimension outside her understanding before snapping back to reality.

“What…what the hay was that…”

Applejack…where are you? Applejack?

“Oh no…not this again!” She yelled, clasping her hoofs to her ears as the all too familiar voice came back.

Applejack…Don’t you…

“SHUT UP! Of all the places to resurface you come out now! Do you understand how hard it was to remove you from my head!”

The fire…the farm…the ear piercing screams. All those memories came flooding back to her memory as the voice continued to search for her. She thought that it had been removed a long time ago. Her calm and serious attitude from before had completely vanished as she dropped her bag and ran back towards the farm.

It’s okay to cry…sweetie…

“You’re not HER!” She screamed, her throat tight and constricted in blind fury as she rushed past through a surprised Big Mac.

“Applejack, are you alright?” He managed to say before his sister went in her room and locked the door.

Is that your brother? My…has he grown quite a lot since…

Since we last saw him…Hello there, Applejack.

“No…no no no no no! I don’t want the two of you coming back here! Go away! Go away and never come back!” She ducked in-between the bed covers, her fear imminent of these two mysterious voices.

Why, aren’t you always the feisty one to talk to…

Why haven’t we been able to show up for so long? The last time we saw each other was with old mother…then after that it was pitch dark…

“For the love of Celestia go away! I want to forget you two! Just leave! Never come back!” Applejack shouted.

Isn’t that a bit rude for talking like that to the ponies who saved your life…isn’t that right, dear?

Yes indead…My back is still sore and burnt after all those years, and your” is too, I reckon…

Worse than yours. It’s so red that I could plant a tomato next to it and you wouldn” even be able to tell the dang difference!

“QUIET!!!” A lamp flew over to the wall and shattered through brute force, echoing a loud ringing in the house while the bulb cracked and crackled on the floor.

“HOW DARE YOU JOKE ABOUT THIS! HOW DARE YOU MOCK YOUR OWN DEATHS! YOU’RE NOT THEM! YOU WERE NEVER THEM!! YOU EVIL SOULESS HUSKS THAT WILL NEVER REPLACE MY…”

“Applejack?”

“WHAT…”

She stopped screaming as she saw her brother opening the door halfway, his expression of familiarity and concern as the two shadows disappeared with his entrance.

There was awkward silence as Big Mac continued to stare awkwardly at his sister, who was in a fighting pose towards the door. Then, he saw her climb back onto the bed standing upright, place her hoofs in her face, and sob softly. The hat was thrown with the lamp.

“Applejack…” He said slowly as he climbed onto the bed and sat along with her. “I’m…I’m here.”

She looked up at her brother to find his sad and sweet smile on his face. Though small, it was filled with compassion and kindness.

“Big Mac…I…I’m sorry for…”

He placed his hoof on her shoulder.
“Don’t be. They came back…didn’t they?”

“Ee…Eeeyup...”

“Don’t you remember what we told you before?”

“Yes…”

“You couldn’t stop losing control didn” you?”

“No…Nope…”

“I’ll deliver the package to Fluttershy. You stay here and clean up this mess, alright sis?” He said clearly.

“Ok…I will.”

He patted her back, handed her a tissue from the box, and started to go outside of the door.

“Wa…wait!”

He turned around and saw her heading towards the wooden cabinet, where she took out an envelope and gave it to the colt.

“Give this to Fluttershy, will you?” She smiled slightly.

“You can count on me, Jackie.”

Inserting the letter into his saddle, he lifted off the blanket with his teeth and Applejack, accepting the invitation, climbed onto it willingly as he covered her.

“Remember to clean up after you’re done resting, alright?”

“Alright.” She nodded.

“You need me to sing you a lullaby?” He asked, feigning a grin.

He smirked when he saw Applejack grumble a bit at the childish method, but then she gave up and threw her hoofs into the air.

“Oh…what the heck. It’s been a while since you did that…and honestly? Rarity isn’t the only mare who” a little bit stressed right now. Go ahead, quartet boy.”

He poked Applejack lightly in response to the snide comment, who giggled, then opened his mouth and sung in a deep smoothing voice.

♫ Hush now, little sister, you’re loved by all we know ♫
♫ You’ll never lose your friendship, no matter where you go ♫
♫ The shadows are all gone now, so don’t you cry or fret, ♫
♫ They both sleep peacefully now, so go and take a rest. ♫

“See you later, Big Macintosh.”

“Sleep well.”

Author's Note