Slipping through my hooves: The Apple and the Blossom

by keam

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Sad, Applejack, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 1736

It finally happened. The day she'd been waiting for so long finally came, but I couldn't be happy for her. Everypony expects me to be happy for Apple Bloom, for she finally found her destiny. Only I seem to see what it really means...

It finally happened. The day she'd been waiting for so long finally came, but I couldn't be happy for her. Everypony expects me to be happy for Apple Bloom, for she finally found her destiny. Only I seem to see what it really means. It means that she's slipping away from me, slipping through my hooves one final time before abandoning us forever.

This story now has a sequel called Slipping through my hooves: The Diamond and the Belle
Cover art: Original episode screenshot edited by me

Published 2015-04-16 13:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-04-16 13:10:02 UTC

Slipping through my hooves for the last time

“Applejack! Big Mac! Granny Smith! Come quick!”

It had been a normal day, just like anyone else. I had been feeding the pigs in the pen when I heard her screaming. But it hadn’t been a scream of fright or despair, no, her voice had been filled with delight, excitement and pride.

Nonetheless, her screams surprised me and I dropped the nearly-empty bucket of garbage down on the ground. The pigs immediately started pushing against the fence, trying to reach the food, but I paid them no attention. Now, I was more curious on what Apple Bloom had to tell us.

“Okay Apple Bloom, what is it?” I asked, walking up to Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Granny Smith already waiting.

“I got my cutiemark! IT FINALLY HAPPENED!” She screamed, proudly waving her flank in the air and showing of the picture of an apple carved out of tree that now adored her flank.

As I saw her now cutiemark-adored flank waving in the air, my whole body went numb, the world around me becoming distant and unfamiliar.

I saw Big Mac and Granny Smith rushing forward, hugging her, saying things I couldn’t hear, as all my senses seemed to have been turned off. They all seemed so happy, filling themselves up with the joy and excitement for the blooming future that having carried with it.

Hot tears trickled down my chins, burning despite that my senses all seemed to have been turned off. I knew why they were happy, but I just couldn't feel the same.

Only I seemed to see what was happening, how Apple Bloom was blooming out, soon to become the beautiful flower I always knew was in there. But when she blossomed, she’d be leaving me, leaving us. Her family. I weren’t ready for that, not yet. I had hoped it’d take at least a few more years, a few more years to go on adventures and enjoy seeing her be little, a foal, in a way I never could.

“Applejack? What’s wrong? W-why are you crying? I...I finally found it, my mark, my destiny! You should be happy for me!” Apple Bloom’s voice pierced through the vacuum that had appeared around me, growing louder and louder, her sadness soon replaced by anger.

I couldn’t answer her. I just couldn’t. It were too late, anyway. The silence had already told her all of it. Looking into those furious, tear filled eyes, I saw her heart breakin more and more as the silence between us grew.

We stood there, staring into each others eyes, seeing the silence creating bigger and bigger cracks between us, and our hearts being teared into smaller and smaller pieces. It was unbearable, and finally, I broke away.

Despite not even feeling my legs beneath me I somehow managed to turn around and run, fast and without caring where I was going. All I knew was that I needed to get away from Apple Bloom. Away from her cutiemark-adorned flank, her furious tear filled eyes and most of all, her little heart, breaking into pieces, all because of me…

The tears, they wouldn’t stop coming, wouldn’t stop blurring my vision and making it impossible for me to see the ground on which I was resting my head.

I was laying and resting on a cliff in the Whitetail woods, finally exhausted after hours of running, leaving all ‘where and ‘why’ behind me. I just ran, and when I couldn’t do that anymore I had lay down on a cliff that just happened to be close by, thinking about Apple Bloom.

I held her in my hooves, thinking she belonged there. I figured it made sense, so I started building a fence, a way to protect her. She didn’t always like it, but it worked. And inside the fence, I built her a home, thinking she’d grow strong there...but I was a fool, playing by the rule, believing she’d stay inside the fence and home forever.

I did so much work, so much more than she’d ever know, and now she was slipping through my hooves. I tried to see what’s on her mind, but each time I thought I was close to knowing her, she’d keep on growing, once more slipping through my hooves.

laying there on the cliff, crying and wishing that this day would never would have come at all, I also started questing why. Why I had to be pained this, what I did to anger what ever big, ultimate power there was.

That’s when I remembered a pice of poesi Granny Smith often read to me as a child, reminding me that the world is not fair, and not even gods are perfect. According to Granny Smith, Luna and Celestia were in reality only two of an unlimited number of unknown gods. The other gods banished them here for their kindness against us ponies down below.

I lay there for a few more moments, ensuring that I remembered everything correct. Once certain I had it, I slowly let the words slip out of my mouth, leaving a soothing feeling in mind.

The elder gods above may throw the dice
Their minds as cold as the lakes winter ice
And somepony way down here, way below the banished two
Loses somepony dear, nothing to do
The blessed one takes it all
The unlucky pony has to fall
It's simple and it's plain
Why or how could we complain?

I repeat the rhyme once, twice, thrice, over and over again, filling the words with my pain and hate for what the unknown gods gave me. But at the same time, as I tried to excuse my self in every way possible, I realized it was my own fault…

All I had ever done was try to protect and take care of my little sister. She had been the center of my universe, the one thing which my whole life circulated around, all since the day she was born. And now she wanted to leave, slip away one final time and then I’d never see her again.

I hit my head against the stone below me, hard. It hurted, but I didn't care, because I needed it. I needed to punish me for putting all this on Apple Bloom, on the gods, on everypony but me. I was responsible, yet I couldn't confess it, no matter how hard I tried.

Yes, all I could do was lay there, feeling sorry for myself and feeling stupid, feeling small,
wishing I had never left at all...

"Applejack? Sis? Are you there?"

My ears twirled and I lifted my head from the cold, hard rock, trying to spot the pony who had spoken. It sounded almost like...no. It couldn't be. She had no reason to be looking for me. Not after what I did, not after I ruined the greatest day in her life. Yet...

"Sister, if you are there, please, answer me!"

I couldn't deny it. It was Apple Bloom, I was sure of it. I had memorised every single sound that came out of her mouth since the day she was born, and I knew her voice better than my own.

"A-Apple B-Bloom? Is that you?" I said, trying not to stutter, but it was impossible.

"Applejack!" Apple Bloom cried in response, and before I even had time to notice her she was hugging me tightly.

"Apple Bloom...what are you doing here? Why were you looking for me!?" I exclaimed, my voice
raising to a scream as I pushed her off me and backed away. I didn't deserve to be hugged by her. Not now, not ever again.

She looked at me with sadness and fear in her eyes.

"I want to know why you hate my mark." She said, looking into my eyes, trying to fix them with hers.

I bit my lip and looked away, avoiding her eyes and her question, hoping she'd go away.

She didn't go away. Instead she stepped closer, once more trying to force me to look her in the eyes.

"Where did those happy days go? they seem so hard to find now. I've tried to reach for you, but you'd always close your mind...what ever happened to your love for me? I wish I understood. It used to be so nice, it used to be so good..."

Her words felt like shards of broken glass, digging themselves deep into my soul and mind, filling me with regret.

"The walls came tumbling down, and my love's a candle you blew out. yes all is gone and it seems too hard to handle." I responded, turning around, ready to walk away.

I didn't see her face, didn't see how my words got to her. All I knew was that I'd be better if I left, and I was ready to do so.

"Applejack! Sis...is that what you think? That I won't care for you anymore? Won't let you care for me?" Her voice was desperate, wanting me to stay. I didn't look at her, but I knew she was shaking.

"Yes. You've grown up, and you no longer need..." I didn't finish the sentence, as two small yellow hooves wrapped around me, holding tight and never wanting to let go.

Turning around, I lifted her up on my back. She was heavy, but I didn't care. I carefully remove my Stetson and put it on her head, where it immediately fell down over her face. She had grown, but yet she had a long way to go, and yet she needed a sister to walk beside her, carry her when she was tired, and race with her when she was filled with energy.

"I'll always need you, sis..." She whispered, burying her face in the fur on my neck as we slowly start walking back home through a beautiful summer green forest.

"And I'll always be there, Blossom..." I promise, using the nickname I used to call her when she was little.

Author's Note

A little thing I did inspired by a beautiful song. 5 :heart: for every song reference in this story you can name, and same if you can guess which song that gave me the original inspiration!

Other than that, hope you enjoyed it and please tell me in the comments what you thought about it! :twilightsmile: