Applejack's Lamentby JohnDarkblaze15ChaptersChapter 1: A Legacy LivedChapter 2: The Truth RevealedChapter 3: Peace at LastChapter 1: A Legacy LivedChapter 1: A Legacy Lived COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOoooooo The sun rises slowly across the sky, bathing the prosperous farmland in its precious morning glow. The local rooster cranes its neck and utters its famous yet tired-out phrase before returning to its slumber. No pony in the large farmhouse gives this daily call any extra thought, and they soon fall back asleep - all, except one. Applejack, the pride of the Apple family, the Element of Honesty, rises slowly from her bed, dreading the rooster's call as soon as she hears it, for it can only mean one thing - the day has finally come. She wipes the sleep from her eyes, tears already starting to form, as she glances over at the largest picture frame sitting on her dresser; within its borders contains a photograph from years past, the portraits of two ponies holding each other in their embrace. The larger of the two, a handsome cream stallion with dusty brown mane and cowboy hat, stands proud next to the smaller one, a beautiful magenta mare with golden locks similar to her own. Applejack sighs heavily as she places the portrait of her parents back in its original position and sits in the middle of the floor, silently sobbing. A rapid knocking suddenly came from the door; "MORNIN' APPLEJACK!!" Applebloom screeches in greeting from behind the barrier. After a pause, she knocks again, this time, more reservedly, "AJ? Helloooo-ooo. . ." she asks again but continues to receive no response. As the realization of the date slowly creeps across her face, however, Applebloom hangs her head and trots downstairs to leave her sister wallowing. Eventually, Applejack gets over herself long enough to clamber downstairs to be with the rest of her family. Granny Smith and Big Mac are preparing breakfast while Applebloom watches them, keeping herself entertained. "Oh, hi Applejack," she says, noticing her sister coming down the stairs. "Morning," Applejack says sullenly. "Hey honey," Granny Smith greets AJ warmly but receives the same somber response from her grandfilly. "Now, what's the matter, child?" she asks, concern in her voice, "Come on, spit it out." "I don't wanna talk about it," Applejack says as she plops down at the table, letting out another heavy sigh. "Um, Granny," Applebloom says, "I think we should just let her be." "And why in Equestria would I do such a thing to my own grandfilly?" Granny Smith asks. "Our parents' anniversary," Big Mac says matter-of-factly. Realization sweeps over Granny Smith's face, "Ah, I see now. Now I remember; how long has it been now - 10 years, I believe?" She suddenly sees she is not helping to improve Applejack's mood, so she cuts herself off. "Oh, sorry, honey, I know how much they meant to you-" "It's alright, just-" Applejack responds tersely, "I don't want to talk about it right now if that's okay with the rest of you." The rest of the Apple family look at each other, concerned for Applejack's well-being, as she storms out to start her chores for the day. Granny Smith sighs, "I wish she wouldn't be so hard on herself about this." "I know," Applebloom agrees, "She's no fun when she gets like this, and it's not like she can do anything about our parents being gone. Why can't she just accept it like the rest of us, instead of acting all mopey and sour to the rest of us?" Big Mac says nothing as he looks out at Applejack somberly starting her work. Only he know why Applejack acts the way she does on this day, yet he cannot tell any pony else because of the promise he made to her, to protect her from harm. * * * * Later that day, Applejack is sent into Ponyville to pick up some new gardening supplies to replace the old ones. As she walks through town, she keeps her head down in sadness, hoping nopony will approach her on this depressing day. She shortly realizes that this will be impossible by having Pinkie Pie as a best friend, who just happened to be bouncing past when she sees her fellow Earth pony friend. "APPLEJAAAACKKK!! Hi! How are you? Isn't it such a nice day! Well, I was just on my way to Sugarcube Corner when--" Pinkie rambles on, "Um, Applejack? Are you okay?" "Hey, Pinkie," Applejack mumbles in greeting without lifting her head, "I'm fine, just, I'd like to be--AAUUGGH!" she cries as she suddenly falls into a pit disguised as the road. An amused cackling suddenly comes from a nearby tree. "Hahaha, got ya!" Rainbow Dash flies out of the tree and inspects the victim of her latest prank. "Oh, no, Applejack," she gasps as Applejack clambers out of the pit, "I-I didn't know it was you. I didn't mean for this to happen to you." "Yeah, alright," Applejack says, "See you two later," and she trudges along her path to the gardening store. Pinkie Pie watches her trot away and cocks her head to the side. "Wow, Applejack must really not like your pranks anymore, Dashie," she says to her cerulean friend. "No, I'm sure it wasn't my prank that's got AJ so down in the dumps," Rainbow Dash admits, "I think today's the day, again." "What day is it?" Pinkie says confusedly. "You know, the day her parents died," Rainbow Dash says in a hushed tone. "Ooohhhhhh, that make sense," Pinkie Pie says, suddenly feeling less enthused than before, "So, we should just leave her alone - as usual?" she adds. "Yeah, best not ruffle her fur for a while," Rainbow Dash says as they trot away. Meanwhile, Applejack had been hiding in an alley listening to their conversation, feeling a heaviness behind her eyes. "It's not their fault my parents died," she says to herself as she continues her journey. Once at the gardening store, she begins collecting her items when she bumps into Fluttershy. "Oh, sorry, exc-" Fluttershy stutters before turning around, "Oh, hello Applejack," she says more confidently, "how are you doing?" "As good as I can be, I guess," Applejack replies sullenly, "What are you doing here?" "Angel and I were going to plant some flowers for my cottage, and I was hoping to find some tools that would fit tiny bunny paws," Fluttershy answers, then notices Applejack's somber mood; "What's wrong, Applejack? You don't seem yourself today." "Isn't it obvious what day today is?" Applejack says dejectedly. "I don't know, what day-" Fluttershy suddenly realizes and sighs, "So, it's come around again, has it?" "Yeah," Applejack says, "No offense, Fluttershy, but I'd rather be left alone until this passes, okay?" "Well, um, okay Applejack," Fluttershy responds as Applejack pays for her materials and departs as quickly as she entered; she sighs again. "I wish Applejack woudn't be so hard on herself about all this," she says to herself, "After all, it was only an accident," she adds as she continues to look around for bunny-sized gardening tools. Applejack was just outside the door when she heard Fluttershy's statement; she sighs as well. "If only they knew," Applejack says to herself. But despite valuing honesty above all else, she knows this is one secret she can never let out in the open. Chapter 2: The Truth RevealedChapter 2: The Truth Revealed Later that day, Twilight calls her friends to a meet up in their favorite cafe to discuss Applejack's situation. "Her depression just gets worse with every passing year," Fluttershy states to the others. "I'll say!" Rainbow Dash says, "She barely said a word to Pinkie Pie and I; she just stared at us like we were in the wrong for saying 'hi'!" "Well, I'm sure pranking her didn't help the situation," Rarity states; upon receiving an accusatory glare from her friend, she explains, "Pinkie told me." Rainbow Dash shoots another glare at Pinkie Pie, who is absent-mindedly enjoying her milkshake. "Well, how was I supposed to know it was AJ? Pinkie was supposed to warn me if it was her because of what day it was!" "Was I?" Pinkie says, scrunching her face in recollection, "Oh, that's right! Oops." "Well, what's done is done," Twilight says, "But Fluttershy's right, we should find some way of relieving her of some of this depression, or else she'll never be the same pony again." "Well, what do you expect we do, darling?" Rarity asks, "She puts the blame on herself for her parents' death, which, I'm afraid, is something she has to resolve herself." "But maybe we can help her along with the process," Twilight offers to her friends, "Being her close friends, we can try to work out her problems about this ordeal with her." "Yeah!" Rainbow Dash exclaims, "Like an intervention. My parents and I had to do something like that for my brother, who needed help after he got a little too aggressive during a hoofball match." "That's actually not a bad idea, Twilight," Fluttershy agrees, "You have no idea how many interventions my parents made to try and get through to Zephyr." "Then it's settled," Twilight says, "We should get the rest of her family involved, too. They know her the best, maybe they'll be able to help in areas we can't." The other ponies agree and continue their lunch, both excited for and dreading their plan. * * * * The next day, Applejack carries about her daily chores about the farm, remnants of tears from the other day still caked on her face. Like every year, she overcame most of the depression since the anniversary, but it still takes her a few days to completely return to normal. When she returns from the fields, however, she notices all of her best friends and family sitting in the den, seemingly waiting for her arrival. "Well, hey everypony," Applejack says warily, "I wasn't expecting to see y'all here . . all at once . . in my home." Big Mac shifts in his seat and whispers to Applebloom and Granny Smith, "I still don't think this is a good idea." "Oh, come on, Big Mac," Apple Bloom replies, "We've got to find out what's wrong with her." "Apple Bloom!" Granny Smith tries to silence her, but to no avail; Applejack hears her statement. "'What's wrong with me'?" Applejack repeats and demands, "Alright, what's going on here?" "It's okay, Applejack," Twilight says, "We thought it would be a good idea for all of us to sit with you and determine the root of your feelings about yesterday's significance to you." "What in tarnation are you-" Applejack suddenly realizes and takes a deep breath, "I assure you, it's nothing y'all can help me with." "Oh, nonsense, darling," Rarity interjects, "We're all here for you, and we want to feel like you can come to us with any negative feelings you may be experiencing." "That," Rainbow Dash says, "and that we're all growing tired of your moping around for days on end." "Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy exclaims, "This is supposed to be an intervention, not a behavior check. We need to help Applejack." "Like I keep telling y'all," Applejack states, "I don't need any help . ." she trails off after seeing the look of desperation on her little sister's face, ". . but, I suppose I'll stay and humor you," she adds as she takes a vacant seat in an armchair. "That's the spirit!" Twilight says excitedly, "Is everypony ready to get started?" Everypony in the room agrees, except for Big Mac, who answers with his signature "Nope." "Alrighty then!" Twilight says, "Firstly, let's get right down to the root of the problem; you feel depressed about your parent's death - why?" "Because they died," Applejack says bluntly, earning a snigger from Rainbow Dash, who immediately regained her composure after receiving a glare from the others. "Well, yes, of course, but" Twilight continues, "why do you feel so lowly that you can barely get through a day's tasks?" "I get through my tasks just fine during this time," Applejack answers, "I don't know who's been feeding ya that . ." she stops as she looks at Apple Bloom, who looks away sheepishly. "Well, to be fair," Apple Bloom starts to explain, "there were a few things you didn't get done yesterday, and Big Mac and I had to . ." "Because I had to go into town!" Applejack interrupts her sister, "It had nothin' to do with how I was feeling! If y'all are gonna tell lies about me, then I don;t know why I'm wasting my time here," she adds as she begins to get up. "Wait, dear!" Rarity says, "Please, we have to do this if we are to help you get through this easier next time it comes around." "Trust me, there's nothing you can help me with," Applejack says, her anger and heartbreak rising. "But there must be something we can do," Fluttershy says, "Why are you pushing us away when we only want to help you?" "Because there's nothin' wrong . ." Applejack starts to say, but she is drowned out by her friends' concerned pleas. The emotional strain becomes too much for Applejack to handle, and she suddenly shouts, "BECAUSE I'M THE ONE WHO DID IT!" Everypony in the room grows silent after Applejack's outburst. Tears begin streaming down Applejack's face as Fluttershy asks, "Y-you did what, Applejack?" "I-I'm the one," Applejack stammers, "w-who k-killed my p-parents." "What are you sayin', AJ?" Apple Bloom asks when Big Mac suddenly speaks up. "Allow me to explain," he says, "It was a long time ago, when you were only a few months old, Applebloom . . ." "Hurry up, Mama!" Applejack cries out, racing Big Mac up the hill to their favorite picnic spot. "I'm coming, Applejack!" a pale cream mare trots after them, "I'm not as fast as you guys!" She carries a small yellow filly wrapped in a pink blanket across her back as a red-maned stallion follows next to her, a picnic basket in his mouth. "Ah, go on ahead, Buttercup," he says as he puts the basket down, "I'll take little Apple Bloom." Buttercup smiles gratefully at him as she transfers the blanket to him and races after her other children, who are already far ahead. They laugh with delight as they see their mother gaining on them. When the stallion arrives with his cargo, the trio lay on the ground, panting yet giggling at the same time. "So, who won?" he asks as he sets Apple Bloom and the basket on the ground. "I did!" All three of them shout at once, and the giggle fit continues. They soon set up their lunch on one of the many rocks along the edge of the Everfree Forest, happily enjoying each other's company. As soon as Big Mac finishes, he asks his sister, "Hey, AJ, wanna play catch?" "Sure, Big Mac!" Applejack says as they begin to trot off in between the rocks. "Be careful in the rocks, you two!" Buttercup exclaims. "Don't worry, we will!" Applejack answers and they soon disappear among the rocks. "You need to learn to be less cautious, honey," the stallion tells his wife. "You know me, Bright Mac, it's my job to watch out for my children," Buttercup replies as she feeds Apple Bloom. "Besides," she continues, "I've heard that some of these rocks aren't that stable!" "Oh, I'm sure that's just the older foals at school spreading rumors," Bright Mac replies, "Think about it, how many times have we come up here since we had Big Mac?" "Too many times to count," she says reminiscently. "And how many times did we experience falling rocks?" he asks again. "Um, well . . none," she answers. "Then there's little chance it will happen now," he says reassuringly, "Come on, let's go join them, I think little Applebloom here's had enough," he adds upon seeing the filly covered in baby food. "You're right, dear," Buttercup eventually agrees, "Let's go enjoy ourselves for once," and the two make their way through the rocks to find their other children. Meanwhile, Big Mac shows Applebloom some tricks with their ball that he learned from various places. "Cousin Braeburn showed me this one," he says as he balances the ball on his nose while standing on one leg. "Wow, Big Mac," Applejack squeals, entertained, "That's super cool!" "He told me he won a medal in the Appleoosa Rodeo's foals division," Big Mac says as their mother and father emerge from the rocks. "Mama! Papa!" Applejack exclaims, "Look what Big Mac's doing!" "We see, and it's very spectacular, son," Bright Mac says, admiring his son's handiwork. "Now let me try, Big Mac!" Applejack says, "I'm gonna buck that ball so far you'll be searching for it until next week!" "I don't believe you can manage that, Applejack," Big Mac teases his sister. "Oh really?" Applejack returns the favor, "Well, did you know Granny Smith won the buckball championship when she was younger? She told me that apple-bucking runs in the mares of the family, right Mama?" Buttercup chuckles, "You bet your buns they are," she says, poking Bright Mac playfully in his side. "Yeah, so you'd better stand back!" Applejack calls out to her big brother. "Oka-ay," Big Mac says as he tosses the ball at Applejack, who turns around and kicks the ball as hard as she can with her hind legs. The ball goes sailing over Big Mac's head and strikes a rock - which supports a much bigger boulder. It tumbles down the mountainside, headed straight for Applejack and Big Mac! The next minute is a blur of actions . . . their mother and father gallop in their direction . . Applejack closes her eyes . . one moment she sees the panic in her parent's eyes . . the next she is a few yards away, the boulder covering the sot they were standing . . no sign of their parents . . Big Mac cries in despair . . she cannot hold back the tears, either . . . . When Big Mac finishes the story, everypony holds mixed looks of shock and despair in their faces. Twilight wipes tears from her eyes and asks, "W-why didn't we know about this?" "Because w-we didn-t want anypony t-to know about m-my mistake," Applejack stammers through her tears, "n-not even my own f-family. I'm s-sorry, everypony." Suddenly, Apple Bloom, who sat in shock throughout the whole story, completely breaks down, "H-How could you, Applejack?! Not t-tell m-me about my o-own p-parent's death! And I-I was t-there, too! And to t-think you, of all p-ponies c-caused it . . . how could you?!?!" and she lies on the floor, crying her eyes out. Applejack cannot bear to look at the despair she has brought upon her friends and family any longer. She screams and races out of the house, tears soaking her cheeks, trying to get as far away from her problems as possible. Chapter 3: Peace at LastImmediately after her big sister left the house, Apple Bloom regrets everything she had said to Applejack within the last five seconds. Of course, she would be immensely upset upon learning her own sister caused the death of her parents, but she did not really mean the hurtful things she said to Applejack after hearing the story. After all, it was only an accident. "Oh, Granny Smith," Apple Bloom cries out, "I didn't mean what I said; I didn't mean to run my sister out of the house!" "I know ye didn', child," Granny Smith, "But nopony here blames ye fer feeling the things ye said." "But that's not fair!" Apple Bloom exclaims, "Applejack shouldn't have had to keep that from her own family. We've got to get her back!" "I can't believe she never told us about it," Fluttershy says, tears still in her eyes. "It's like I said," Big Mac explains, "We didn't want anypony going after her and throwing insults at her for accidentally killing our parents." "Well, what are we going to do?" Rainbow Dash asks, "She could be anywhere by now!" "We know of a few places she goes when she's feeling this upset," Granny Smith says, "We should check them places first." "Come on, girls," Twilight exclaims, "Let's get our friend back!" And everypony races out of the house to find their missing friend. Meanwhile, Applejack continues to run away from Sweet Apple Acres, away from the heartache, never stopping until she somehow ends up near the edge of the Everfree Forest. She stands at the top of a hill overlooking Ponyville, trees and rock formations ahead of her, the slope behind her. Applejack instantly knows why she unconsciously arrived at this spot; this is her family's favorite picnic spot, the place they would come to almost every day; this is one of the few connections to her parents she has left. This is where she comes to cry so nopony can see her. Applejack climbs the rocks until she finds a crevice where she cannot be spotted by any wanderers and begins to shamelessly bawl like a filly, hiccoughing and breathing tersely. The weight of everything surrounding her parents comes crashing down upon her now that everypony knows the truth. What pains her most, however, is Apple Bloom's accusing stare when she learns that her own sister betrayed them all; envisioning her outburst after the fact brings fresh tears to Applejack's eyes as she begins another emotional fit. If Applejack had known Apple Bloom would react the way she did, she might have told her about it sooner, but it was certainly too late for that know . . . * * * * "Aaaapplejaaaaack! AAAAPPLEJAAAACK!" Apple Bloom calls out to her sister but receives no reply. The search party had found themselves at the edge of the Everfree Forest, near the Apple family's picnic spot, according to Big Mac, and began canvassing the area for signs of their missing friend and relative. "I've searched all over these rock formations, but I can't find her anywhere," Rainbow Dash pants after soaring around the craggy landscape, ready to go back out. "Well, then, maybe you can help us on the ground, darling," Rarity calls out, "I for one have no desire to go crawling into any holes." "Not even for your own friend, who could really use our help right now?" Rainbow says, slightly accusingly. Rarity considers, "Well, I guess when you put it that way," she finally says as she continues to search among the rocks. Eventually, however, they begin to lose hope in ever finding Applejack. "Ugh, this is hopeless!" Rainbow Dash exclaims, "We'll never find her in here!" "If I know ol' AJ, which I do," Granny Smith begins to say, "Then she's bound to be here somewhere. This is one of her most coveted spots in all of Ponyville." "I'm gonna get a bit higher up," Apple Bloom states, "to see if I can get a better view." "Be careful, Apple Bloom," Big Mac warns. "Don't worry, I will," she responds and begins climbing. When she reaches a ledge in the cliffside, she looks around for her sister but does not pay attention to anything in front of her. Before she knows it, she is sent flying forward after tripping on a stone jutting out of the ground, landing awkwardly on her foreleg. "Oof!" Apple Bloom cries out, "That was clumsy of me." She tries to walk around again, but she feels a sharp pain shoot up her front right leg with every step she takes. "Uh oh," she says, "that's not good," and she looks around for the others. She sees them below and tries getting their attention. "Hello? Everypony, over here!" she calls out, but they are too far away to hear her, so she shouts "HEELLPPP!!" She realizes her mistake too late, however, as she suddenly hears a rumbling sound. Apple Bloom's scream for help reverberated off of the formations and cause some to come loose, thus beginning an avalanche of rocks and stone - headed straight for Apple Bloom! "What's that funny noise?" Pinkie Pie asks after inspecting another rock for Applejack. Nopony pays attention to her until she gasps, "UP THERE!" Everypony looks to where she points and sees Apple Bloom in the path of the rockslide. "Oh no!" Twilight shouts, "Double-time it to that cliff, everypony!" she exclaims as the group gallops away to the rescue. * * * * Applejack, who is still wallowing in her hideout, hears the rocks come loose and Apple Bloom's cry for help. She peers out of her hiding place and sees her little sister, frozen in shock, staring up at the rockslide; she notices her friends making their way up the cliff, but Applejack knows they will not make it in time. After going over her options for a second, Applejack takes a deep breath and charges out of her hole to save her only sister. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom is not sure what to do; she feels rooted to her spot by shock and cannot move. She closes her eyes and braces for impact . . . CRASH! The rockslide makes contact with the ledge Apple Bloom stands on, but she feels no pain, no crushing weight on her body. She inspects herself for injuries, but other than her sprained foreleg, she appears physically unhurt. She begins to celebrate her miraculous luck, but as she turns around and sees half of an orange body jutting out from underneath the rocks, she realizes that it was not luck that saved her. "Oh no . . ." she begins to say as she moves towards the body of her sister, "No, no, no . . . AJ?" she pokes Applejack's head, but she does not stir; her eyes are closed and shows no signs of steady breathing. "No, n-not y-you t-too, A-A-Applejack . . ." Apple Bloom stammers, the realization of her sister's heroic actions hitting her like a freight train as she breaks down crying; the other ponies arrive soon after. They see Applejack's limp body buried in rocks and join in Apple Bloom's distress over losing their friend and family member. * * * * One moment, there was a lot of severe, sharp pain, and then . . . there was nothingness. Quiet, unbroken, absolute nothingness . . . Applejack wakes up and immediately realizes she is no longer in Ponyville; she lies on a bed of clouds, the sunset shining brilliantly across the horizon. As Applejack takes in her surroundings, she spots a couple of ponies standing next to each other; she decides to ask them about her whereabouts. When she trots closer to them, however, she notices they are shimmery and transparent, almost like ghosts, except she can see their every detail as clear as day. She becomes extremely confused by what she sees, but when they turn around, she gasps as she recognizes the faces of her parents, their eyes shining bright and smiles lighting up their faces. Applejack is rendered speechless; "Ma . . . Pa," is all she can muster before flinging herself upon them as they materialize and become solid figures. The three ponies share a very heartfelt greeting over not seeing each other for many years. "Hello, dear Applejack," Buttercup greets her eldest daughter warmly, "We've been both hoping and dreading that this day would come." "What do you mean?" Applejack asks, then realizes her exact whereabouts, "A-Am I . . . dead?" she asks her parents. Buttercup tries to hold back tears, but to no avail, while Bright Mac nods solemnly; Applejack tries to understand everything that led up to the moment before the rocks crushed her. "No," she finally says, "I didn't wanna be taken like this. Like you were." "It's alright, honey," her mother tells her, "Everything will be fine." "But it won't be, can't you see?" Applejack exclaims, tears forming in her eyes, "Both times, it was my fault; if I hadn't run off like I did, they would never have needed to look for me and put themselves in danger. And then there was your . ." she chokes back a sob when Buttercup rests her foreleg on her shoulders. "Applejack, nopony blames you for either of those incidents," she says soothingly, gently massaging her daughter's tense back, "They were both accidents." "But I'm s-still t-to blame," Applejack continues, sobbing into her mother's waiting embrace, "I-I . ." she is about to go on, but Bright Mac gently interrupts her. "It's alright, Applejack," he says, "We've been watching over all three of you since the day we passed, so we've witnessed how much our death affected you. And, to be perfectly honest," Applejack spies a glimmer of a tear in his eyes, "we couldn't be any more proud of you." "P-Proud of m-me?" Applejack asks, stunned, "B-But w-why?" "You've gone through so much, Applejack," her mother begins to say, "More than anything a filly should've ever had to endure at as young an age as yours. But that experience has only made you stronger, and now look at you - running Sweet Apple Acres, all by yourself!" Applejack smiles a little, "Well, it's not just me; Big Mac and Granny Smith help out some, too." "We know," her father says, "Although we've also seen her taking her fair share of naps throughout the day," he adds lightheartedly, which gets Applejack, as well as her parents, laughing again. Applejack looks at how happy her parents are, and the thought of a happy future with her parents brings fresh tears to the surface of her eyes. "I-I'm sorry I ruined this fer us," Applejack says dejectedly. Her mother and father take her in their arms and try to console her. "Applejack, you didn't ruin anything for us," Buttercup says comfortingly, "Sure, we left a little earlier than expected, but we certainly don't regret our actions that day, and neither should you." "Your mother's right, you know," Bright Mac adds, "Seeing you suffer alone like you have for so many years pains us as much as you have felt. It's okay to remember the past, but to make your life's purpose about abiding by it is not the right way to handle it." "B-But if I forget about that day, I-I'm afraid I'll forget you, t-too," Applejack confesses. "It's okay to let go of some things, like the day we died, but that doesn't mean you have to forget about us," her mother says, "Just remember that, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, or some friendly advice, we, as well as Granny, Macintosh, and even Apple Bloom, are here for you." Applejack stifles another sob, "Thank you. I love and miss you both," she adds, giving them one last hug as they become transparent again. "We love you too, sweetie," her parents reply as they fade away and Applejack closes her eyes . . . * * * * When Applejack reawakens, she is lying in a patient's bed in Ponyville Hospital; she looks around the room and smiles at the numerous gifts and cards left by her loved ones. In one of the corners of the room, she sees Big Mac and Apple Bloom curled together for comfort in an armchair; Applejack's smile grows wider thinking about the two of them not leaving her side until she gets better. She watches them until they begin to stir; Apple Bloom is the first to notice Applejack and races over to her bedside, tears of joy filling her eyes. Even Big Mac cannot hold back a tear or two upon seeing his sister make a full recovery after her incident. At that moment, a nurse steps into the room, clipboard in one hoof, a stethoscope in the other. "Oh, hello there," she says upon seeing Applejack sentient, "Nice to see you're awake. Should consider yourself lucky, most ponies with your injuries often don't make it." She checks a few things with Applejack's vitals and departs as quickly as she entered. "Oh, Applejack!" Apple Bloom cries into her sister's neck, "I'm sorry I said the things I did to you! I didn't mean any of it!" "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Applejack says, tears starting to form. "Well, I also knew about it," Big Mac confesses, "so I'm partially to blame for it." "No, it was my burden to bear," Applejack says, "but fortunately not any longer." "Really, Applejack?" Apple Bloom says, "Does this mean you'll stop moping around the house?" Everypony in the room laughs whole-heartedly - something that has not happened for a long time. "In a way, sugarcube," Applejack responds, "yes, you're right. I won't let our parents' death take up my time - after all, they're watching over us to make sure we do things right, anyways!" With that, Big Mac and Apple Bloom give Applejack as big a hug as her injuries would allow and laugh and talk about less stressful and more fun-filled times to come.
Chapter 1: A Legacy LivedChapter 1: A Legacy Lived COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOoooooo The sun rises slowly across the sky, bathing the prosperous farmland in its precious morning glow. The local rooster cranes its neck and utters its famous yet tired-out phrase before returning to its slumber. No pony in the large farmhouse gives this daily call any extra thought, and they soon fall back asleep - all, except one. Applejack, the pride of the Apple family, the Element of Honesty, rises slowly from her bed, dreading the rooster's call as soon as she hears it, for it can only mean one thing - the day has finally come. She wipes the sleep from her eyes, tears already starting to form, as she glances over at the largest picture frame sitting on her dresser; within its borders contains a photograph from years past, the portraits of two ponies holding each other in their embrace. The larger of the two, a handsome cream stallion with dusty brown mane and cowboy hat, stands proud next to the smaller one, a beautiful magenta mare with golden locks similar to her own. Applejack sighs heavily as she places the portrait of her parents back in its original position and sits in the middle of the floor, silently sobbing. A rapid knocking suddenly came from the door; "MORNIN' APPLEJACK!!" Applebloom screeches in greeting from behind the barrier. After a pause, she knocks again, this time, more reservedly, "AJ? Helloooo-ooo. . ." she asks again but continues to receive no response. As the realization of the date slowly creeps across her face, however, Applebloom hangs her head and trots downstairs to leave her sister wallowing. Eventually, Applejack gets over herself long enough to clamber downstairs to be with the rest of her family. Granny Smith and Big Mac are preparing breakfast while Applebloom watches them, keeping herself entertained. "Oh, hi Applejack," she says, noticing her sister coming down the stairs. "Morning," Applejack says sullenly. "Hey honey," Granny Smith greets AJ warmly but receives the same somber response from her grandfilly. "Now, what's the matter, child?" she asks, concern in her voice, "Come on, spit it out." "I don't wanna talk about it," Applejack says as she plops down at the table, letting out another heavy sigh. "Um, Granny," Applebloom says, "I think we should just let her be." "And why in Equestria would I do such a thing to my own grandfilly?" Granny Smith asks. "Our parents' anniversary," Big Mac says matter-of-factly. Realization sweeps over Granny Smith's face, "Ah, I see now. Now I remember; how long has it been now - 10 years, I believe?" She suddenly sees she is not helping to improve Applejack's mood, so she cuts herself off. "Oh, sorry, honey, I know how much they meant to you-" "It's alright, just-" Applejack responds tersely, "I don't want to talk about it right now if that's okay with the rest of you." The rest of the Apple family look at each other, concerned for Applejack's well-being, as she storms out to start her chores for the day. Granny Smith sighs, "I wish she wouldn't be so hard on herself about this." "I know," Applebloom agrees, "She's no fun when she gets like this, and it's not like she can do anything about our parents being gone. Why can't she just accept it like the rest of us, instead of acting all mopey and sour to the rest of us?" Big Mac says nothing as he looks out at Applejack somberly starting her work. Only he know why Applejack acts the way she does on this day, yet he cannot tell any pony else because of the promise he made to her, to protect her from harm. * * * * Later that day, Applejack is sent into Ponyville to pick up some new gardening supplies to replace the old ones. As she walks through town, she keeps her head down in sadness, hoping nopony will approach her on this depressing day. She shortly realizes that this will be impossible by having Pinkie Pie as a best friend, who just happened to be bouncing past when she sees her fellow Earth pony friend. "APPLEJAAAACKKK!! Hi! How are you? Isn't it such a nice day! Well, I was just on my way to Sugarcube Corner when--" Pinkie rambles on, "Um, Applejack? Are you okay?" "Hey, Pinkie," Applejack mumbles in greeting without lifting her head, "I'm fine, just, I'd like to be--AAUUGGH!" she cries as she suddenly falls into a pit disguised as the road. An amused cackling suddenly comes from a nearby tree. "Hahaha, got ya!" Rainbow Dash flies out of the tree and inspects the victim of her latest prank. "Oh, no, Applejack," she gasps as Applejack clambers out of the pit, "I-I didn't know it was you. I didn't mean for this to happen to you." "Yeah, alright," Applejack says, "See you two later," and she trudges along her path to the gardening store. Pinkie Pie watches her trot away and cocks her head to the side. "Wow, Applejack must really not like your pranks anymore, Dashie," she says to her cerulean friend. "No, I'm sure it wasn't my prank that's got AJ so down in the dumps," Rainbow Dash admits, "I think today's the day, again." "What day is it?" Pinkie says confusedly. "You know, the day her parents died," Rainbow Dash says in a hushed tone. "Ooohhhhhh, that make sense," Pinkie Pie says, suddenly feeling less enthused than before, "So, we should just leave her alone - as usual?" she adds. "Yeah, best not ruffle her fur for a while," Rainbow Dash says as they trot away. Meanwhile, Applejack had been hiding in an alley listening to their conversation, feeling a heaviness behind her eyes. "It's not their fault my parents died," she says to herself as she continues her journey. Once at the gardening store, she begins collecting her items when she bumps into Fluttershy. "Oh, sorry, exc-" Fluttershy stutters before turning around, "Oh, hello Applejack," she says more confidently, "how are you doing?" "As good as I can be, I guess," Applejack replies sullenly, "What are you doing here?" "Angel and I were going to plant some flowers for my cottage, and I was hoping to find some tools that would fit tiny bunny paws," Fluttershy answers, then notices Applejack's somber mood; "What's wrong, Applejack? You don't seem yourself today." "Isn't it obvious what day today is?" Applejack says dejectedly. "I don't know, what day-" Fluttershy suddenly realizes and sighs, "So, it's come around again, has it?" "Yeah," Applejack says, "No offense, Fluttershy, but I'd rather be left alone until this passes, okay?" "Well, um, okay Applejack," Fluttershy responds as Applejack pays for her materials and departs as quickly as she entered; she sighs again. "I wish Applejack woudn't be so hard on herself about all this," she says to herself, "After all, it was only an accident," she adds as she continues to look around for bunny-sized gardening tools. Applejack was just outside the door when she heard Fluttershy's statement; she sighs as well. "If only they knew," Applejack says to herself. But despite valuing honesty above all else, she knows this is one secret she can never let out in the open.
Chapter 2: The Truth RevealedChapter 2: The Truth Revealed Later that day, Twilight calls her friends to a meet up in their favorite cafe to discuss Applejack's situation. "Her depression just gets worse with every passing year," Fluttershy states to the others. "I'll say!" Rainbow Dash says, "She barely said a word to Pinkie Pie and I; she just stared at us like we were in the wrong for saying 'hi'!" "Well, I'm sure pranking her didn't help the situation," Rarity states; upon receiving an accusatory glare from her friend, she explains, "Pinkie told me." Rainbow Dash shoots another glare at Pinkie Pie, who is absent-mindedly enjoying her milkshake. "Well, how was I supposed to know it was AJ? Pinkie was supposed to warn me if it was her because of what day it was!" "Was I?" Pinkie says, scrunching her face in recollection, "Oh, that's right! Oops." "Well, what's done is done," Twilight says, "But Fluttershy's right, we should find some way of relieving her of some of this depression, or else she'll never be the same pony again." "Well, what do you expect we do, darling?" Rarity asks, "She puts the blame on herself for her parents' death, which, I'm afraid, is something she has to resolve herself." "But maybe we can help her along with the process," Twilight offers to her friends, "Being her close friends, we can try to work out her problems about this ordeal with her." "Yeah!" Rainbow Dash exclaims, "Like an intervention. My parents and I had to do something like that for my brother, who needed help after he got a little too aggressive during a hoofball match." "That's actually not a bad idea, Twilight," Fluttershy agrees, "You have no idea how many interventions my parents made to try and get through to Zephyr." "Then it's settled," Twilight says, "We should get the rest of her family involved, too. They know her the best, maybe they'll be able to help in areas we can't." The other ponies agree and continue their lunch, both excited for and dreading their plan. * * * * The next day, Applejack carries about her daily chores about the farm, remnants of tears from the other day still caked on her face. Like every year, she overcame most of the depression since the anniversary, but it still takes her a few days to completely return to normal. When she returns from the fields, however, she notices all of her best friends and family sitting in the den, seemingly waiting for her arrival. "Well, hey everypony," Applejack says warily, "I wasn't expecting to see y'all here . . all at once . . in my home." Big Mac shifts in his seat and whispers to Applebloom and Granny Smith, "I still don't think this is a good idea." "Oh, come on, Big Mac," Apple Bloom replies, "We've got to find out what's wrong with her." "Apple Bloom!" Granny Smith tries to silence her, but to no avail; Applejack hears her statement. "'What's wrong with me'?" Applejack repeats and demands, "Alright, what's going on here?" "It's okay, Applejack," Twilight says, "We thought it would be a good idea for all of us to sit with you and determine the root of your feelings about yesterday's significance to you." "What in tarnation are you-" Applejack suddenly realizes and takes a deep breath, "I assure you, it's nothing y'all can help me with." "Oh, nonsense, darling," Rarity interjects, "We're all here for you, and we want to feel like you can come to us with any negative feelings you may be experiencing." "That," Rainbow Dash says, "and that we're all growing tired of your moping around for days on end." "Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy exclaims, "This is supposed to be an intervention, not a behavior check. We need to help Applejack." "Like I keep telling y'all," Applejack states, "I don't need any help . ." she trails off after seeing the look of desperation on her little sister's face, ". . but, I suppose I'll stay and humor you," she adds as she takes a vacant seat in an armchair. "That's the spirit!" Twilight says excitedly, "Is everypony ready to get started?" Everypony in the room agrees, except for Big Mac, who answers with his signature "Nope." "Alrighty then!" Twilight says, "Firstly, let's get right down to the root of the problem; you feel depressed about your parent's death - why?" "Because they died," Applejack says bluntly, earning a snigger from Rainbow Dash, who immediately regained her composure after receiving a glare from the others. "Well, yes, of course, but" Twilight continues, "why do you feel so lowly that you can barely get through a day's tasks?" "I get through my tasks just fine during this time," Applejack answers, "I don't know who's been feeding ya that . ." she stops as she looks at Apple Bloom, who looks away sheepishly. "Well, to be fair," Apple Bloom starts to explain, "there were a few things you didn't get done yesterday, and Big Mac and I had to . ." "Because I had to go into town!" Applejack interrupts her sister, "It had nothin' to do with how I was feeling! If y'all are gonna tell lies about me, then I don;t know why I'm wasting my time here," she adds as she begins to get up. "Wait, dear!" Rarity says, "Please, we have to do this if we are to help you get through this easier next time it comes around." "Trust me, there's nothing you can help me with," Applejack says, her anger and heartbreak rising. "But there must be something we can do," Fluttershy says, "Why are you pushing us away when we only want to help you?" "Because there's nothin' wrong . ." Applejack starts to say, but she is drowned out by her friends' concerned pleas. The emotional strain becomes too much for Applejack to handle, and she suddenly shouts, "BECAUSE I'M THE ONE WHO DID IT!" Everypony in the room grows silent after Applejack's outburst. Tears begin streaming down Applejack's face as Fluttershy asks, "Y-you did what, Applejack?" "I-I'm the one," Applejack stammers, "w-who k-killed my p-parents." "What are you sayin', AJ?" Apple Bloom asks when Big Mac suddenly speaks up. "Allow me to explain," he says, "It was a long time ago, when you were only a few months old, Applebloom . . ." "Hurry up, Mama!" Applejack cries out, racing Big Mac up the hill to their favorite picnic spot. "I'm coming, Applejack!" a pale cream mare trots after them, "I'm not as fast as you guys!" She carries a small yellow filly wrapped in a pink blanket across her back as a red-maned stallion follows next to her, a picnic basket in his mouth. "Ah, go on ahead, Buttercup," he says as he puts the basket down, "I'll take little Apple Bloom." Buttercup smiles gratefully at him as she transfers the blanket to him and races after her other children, who are already far ahead. They laugh with delight as they see their mother gaining on them. When the stallion arrives with his cargo, the trio lay on the ground, panting yet giggling at the same time. "So, who won?" he asks as he sets Apple Bloom and the basket on the ground. "I did!" All three of them shout at once, and the giggle fit continues. They soon set up their lunch on one of the many rocks along the edge of the Everfree Forest, happily enjoying each other's company. As soon as Big Mac finishes, he asks his sister, "Hey, AJ, wanna play catch?" "Sure, Big Mac!" Applejack says as they begin to trot off in between the rocks. "Be careful in the rocks, you two!" Buttercup exclaims. "Don't worry, we will!" Applejack answers and they soon disappear among the rocks. "You need to learn to be less cautious, honey," the stallion tells his wife. "You know me, Bright Mac, it's my job to watch out for my children," Buttercup replies as she feeds Apple Bloom. "Besides," she continues, "I've heard that some of these rocks aren't that stable!" "Oh, I'm sure that's just the older foals at school spreading rumors," Bright Mac replies, "Think about it, how many times have we come up here since we had Big Mac?" "Too many times to count," she says reminiscently. "And how many times did we experience falling rocks?" he asks again. "Um, well . . none," she answers. "Then there's little chance it will happen now," he says reassuringly, "Come on, let's go join them, I think little Applebloom here's had enough," he adds upon seeing the filly covered in baby food. "You're right, dear," Buttercup eventually agrees, "Let's go enjoy ourselves for once," and the two make their way through the rocks to find their other children. Meanwhile, Big Mac shows Applebloom some tricks with their ball that he learned from various places. "Cousin Braeburn showed me this one," he says as he balances the ball on his nose while standing on one leg. "Wow, Big Mac," Applejack squeals, entertained, "That's super cool!" "He told me he won a medal in the Appleoosa Rodeo's foals division," Big Mac says as their mother and father emerge from the rocks. "Mama! Papa!" Applejack exclaims, "Look what Big Mac's doing!" "We see, and it's very spectacular, son," Bright Mac says, admiring his son's handiwork. "Now let me try, Big Mac!" Applejack says, "I'm gonna buck that ball so far you'll be searching for it until next week!" "I don't believe you can manage that, Applejack," Big Mac teases his sister. "Oh really?" Applejack returns the favor, "Well, did you know Granny Smith won the buckball championship when she was younger? She told me that apple-bucking runs in the mares of the family, right Mama?" Buttercup chuckles, "You bet your buns they are," she says, poking Bright Mac playfully in his side. "Yeah, so you'd better stand back!" Applejack calls out to her big brother. "Oka-ay," Big Mac says as he tosses the ball at Applejack, who turns around and kicks the ball as hard as she can with her hind legs. The ball goes sailing over Big Mac's head and strikes a rock - which supports a much bigger boulder. It tumbles down the mountainside, headed straight for Applejack and Big Mac! The next minute is a blur of actions . . . their mother and father gallop in their direction . . Applejack closes her eyes . . one moment she sees the panic in her parent's eyes . . the next she is a few yards away, the boulder covering the sot they were standing . . no sign of their parents . . Big Mac cries in despair . . she cannot hold back the tears, either . . . . When Big Mac finishes the story, everypony holds mixed looks of shock and despair in their faces. Twilight wipes tears from her eyes and asks, "W-why didn't we know about this?" "Because w-we didn-t want anypony t-to know about m-my mistake," Applejack stammers through her tears, "n-not even my own f-family. I'm s-sorry, everypony." Suddenly, Apple Bloom, who sat in shock throughout the whole story, completely breaks down, "H-How could you, Applejack?! Not t-tell m-me about my o-own p-parent's death! And I-I was t-there, too! And to t-think you, of all p-ponies c-caused it . . . how could you?!?!" and she lies on the floor, crying her eyes out. Applejack cannot bear to look at the despair she has brought upon her friends and family any longer. She screams and races out of the house, tears soaking her cheeks, trying to get as far away from her problems as possible.
Chapter 3: Peace at LastImmediately after her big sister left the house, Apple Bloom regrets everything she had said to Applejack within the last five seconds. Of course, she would be immensely upset upon learning her own sister caused the death of her parents, but she did not really mean the hurtful things she said to Applejack after hearing the story. After all, it was only an accident. "Oh, Granny Smith," Apple Bloom cries out, "I didn't mean what I said; I didn't mean to run my sister out of the house!" "I know ye didn', child," Granny Smith, "But nopony here blames ye fer feeling the things ye said." "But that's not fair!" Apple Bloom exclaims, "Applejack shouldn't have had to keep that from her own family. We've got to get her back!" "I can't believe she never told us about it," Fluttershy says, tears still in her eyes. "It's like I said," Big Mac explains, "We didn't want anypony going after her and throwing insults at her for accidentally killing our parents." "Well, what are we going to do?" Rainbow Dash asks, "She could be anywhere by now!" "We know of a few places she goes when she's feeling this upset," Granny Smith says, "We should check them places first." "Come on, girls," Twilight exclaims, "Let's get our friend back!" And everypony races out of the house to find their missing friend. Meanwhile, Applejack continues to run away from Sweet Apple Acres, away from the heartache, never stopping until she somehow ends up near the edge of the Everfree Forest. She stands at the top of a hill overlooking Ponyville, trees and rock formations ahead of her, the slope behind her. Applejack instantly knows why she unconsciously arrived at this spot; this is her family's favorite picnic spot, the place they would come to almost every day; this is one of the few connections to her parents she has left. This is where she comes to cry so nopony can see her. Applejack climbs the rocks until she finds a crevice where she cannot be spotted by any wanderers and begins to shamelessly bawl like a filly, hiccoughing and breathing tersely. The weight of everything surrounding her parents comes crashing down upon her now that everypony knows the truth. What pains her most, however, is Apple Bloom's accusing stare when she learns that her own sister betrayed them all; envisioning her outburst after the fact brings fresh tears to Applejack's eyes as she begins another emotional fit. If Applejack had known Apple Bloom would react the way she did, she might have told her about it sooner, but it was certainly too late for that know . . . * * * * "Aaaapplejaaaaack! AAAAPPLEJAAAACK!" Apple Bloom calls out to her sister but receives no reply. The search party had found themselves at the edge of the Everfree Forest, near the Apple family's picnic spot, according to Big Mac, and began canvassing the area for signs of their missing friend and relative. "I've searched all over these rock formations, but I can't find her anywhere," Rainbow Dash pants after soaring around the craggy landscape, ready to go back out. "Well, then, maybe you can help us on the ground, darling," Rarity calls out, "I for one have no desire to go crawling into any holes." "Not even for your own friend, who could really use our help right now?" Rainbow says, slightly accusingly. Rarity considers, "Well, I guess when you put it that way," she finally says as she continues to search among the rocks. Eventually, however, they begin to lose hope in ever finding Applejack. "Ugh, this is hopeless!" Rainbow Dash exclaims, "We'll never find her in here!" "If I know ol' AJ, which I do," Granny Smith begins to say, "Then she's bound to be here somewhere. This is one of her most coveted spots in all of Ponyville." "I'm gonna get a bit higher up," Apple Bloom states, "to see if I can get a better view." "Be careful, Apple Bloom," Big Mac warns. "Don't worry, I will," she responds and begins climbing. When she reaches a ledge in the cliffside, she looks around for her sister but does not pay attention to anything in front of her. Before she knows it, she is sent flying forward after tripping on a stone jutting out of the ground, landing awkwardly on her foreleg. "Oof!" Apple Bloom cries out, "That was clumsy of me." She tries to walk around again, but she feels a sharp pain shoot up her front right leg with every step she takes. "Uh oh," she says, "that's not good," and she looks around for the others. She sees them below and tries getting their attention. "Hello? Everypony, over here!" she calls out, but they are too far away to hear her, so she shouts "HEELLPPP!!" She realizes her mistake too late, however, as she suddenly hears a rumbling sound. Apple Bloom's scream for help reverberated off of the formations and cause some to come loose, thus beginning an avalanche of rocks and stone - headed straight for Apple Bloom! "What's that funny noise?" Pinkie Pie asks after inspecting another rock for Applejack. Nopony pays attention to her until she gasps, "UP THERE!" Everypony looks to where she points and sees Apple Bloom in the path of the rockslide. "Oh no!" Twilight shouts, "Double-time it to that cliff, everypony!" she exclaims as the group gallops away to the rescue. * * * * Applejack, who is still wallowing in her hideout, hears the rocks come loose and Apple Bloom's cry for help. She peers out of her hiding place and sees her little sister, frozen in shock, staring up at the rockslide; she notices her friends making their way up the cliff, but Applejack knows they will not make it in time. After going over her options for a second, Applejack takes a deep breath and charges out of her hole to save her only sister. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom is not sure what to do; she feels rooted to her spot by shock and cannot move. She closes her eyes and braces for impact . . . CRASH! The rockslide makes contact with the ledge Apple Bloom stands on, but she feels no pain, no crushing weight on her body. She inspects herself for injuries, but other than her sprained foreleg, she appears physically unhurt. She begins to celebrate her miraculous luck, but as she turns around and sees half of an orange body jutting out from underneath the rocks, she realizes that it was not luck that saved her. "Oh no . . ." she begins to say as she moves towards the body of her sister, "No, no, no . . . AJ?" she pokes Applejack's head, but she does not stir; her eyes are closed and shows no signs of steady breathing. "No, n-not y-you t-too, A-A-Applejack . . ." Apple Bloom stammers, the realization of her sister's heroic actions hitting her like a freight train as she breaks down crying; the other ponies arrive soon after. They see Applejack's limp body buried in rocks and join in Apple Bloom's distress over losing their friend and family member. * * * * One moment, there was a lot of severe, sharp pain, and then . . . there was nothingness. Quiet, unbroken, absolute nothingness . . . Applejack wakes up and immediately realizes she is no longer in Ponyville; she lies on a bed of clouds, the sunset shining brilliantly across the horizon. As Applejack takes in her surroundings, she spots a couple of ponies standing next to each other; she decides to ask them about her whereabouts. When she trots closer to them, however, she notices they are shimmery and transparent, almost like ghosts, except she can see their every detail as clear as day. She becomes extremely confused by what she sees, but when they turn around, she gasps as she recognizes the faces of her parents, their eyes shining bright and smiles lighting up their faces. Applejack is rendered speechless; "Ma . . . Pa," is all she can muster before flinging herself upon them as they materialize and become solid figures. The three ponies share a very heartfelt greeting over not seeing each other for many years. "Hello, dear Applejack," Buttercup greets her eldest daughter warmly, "We've been both hoping and dreading that this day would come." "What do you mean?" Applejack asks, then realizes her exact whereabouts, "A-Am I . . . dead?" she asks her parents. Buttercup tries to hold back tears, but to no avail, while Bright Mac nods solemnly; Applejack tries to understand everything that led up to the moment before the rocks crushed her. "No," she finally says, "I didn't wanna be taken like this. Like you were." "It's alright, honey," her mother tells her, "Everything will be fine." "But it won't be, can't you see?" Applejack exclaims, tears forming in her eyes, "Both times, it was my fault; if I hadn't run off like I did, they would never have needed to look for me and put themselves in danger. And then there was your . ." she chokes back a sob when Buttercup rests her foreleg on her shoulders. "Applejack, nopony blames you for either of those incidents," she says soothingly, gently massaging her daughter's tense back, "They were both accidents." "But I'm s-still t-to blame," Applejack continues, sobbing into her mother's waiting embrace, "I-I . ." she is about to go on, but Bright Mac gently interrupts her. "It's alright, Applejack," he says, "We've been watching over all three of you since the day we passed, so we've witnessed how much our death affected you. And, to be perfectly honest," Applejack spies a glimmer of a tear in his eyes, "we couldn't be any more proud of you." "P-Proud of m-me?" Applejack asks, stunned, "B-But w-why?" "You've gone through so much, Applejack," her mother begins to say, "More than anything a filly should've ever had to endure at as young an age as yours. But that experience has only made you stronger, and now look at you - running Sweet Apple Acres, all by yourself!" Applejack smiles a little, "Well, it's not just me; Big Mac and Granny Smith help out some, too." "We know," her father says, "Although we've also seen her taking her fair share of naps throughout the day," he adds lightheartedly, which gets Applejack, as well as her parents, laughing again. Applejack looks at how happy her parents are, and the thought of a happy future with her parents brings fresh tears to the surface of her eyes. "I-I'm sorry I ruined this fer us," Applejack says dejectedly. Her mother and father take her in their arms and try to console her. "Applejack, you didn't ruin anything for us," Buttercup says comfortingly, "Sure, we left a little earlier than expected, but we certainly don't regret our actions that day, and neither should you." "Your mother's right, you know," Bright Mac adds, "Seeing you suffer alone like you have for so many years pains us as much as you have felt. It's okay to remember the past, but to make your life's purpose about abiding by it is not the right way to handle it." "B-But if I forget about that day, I-I'm afraid I'll forget you, t-too," Applejack confesses. "It's okay to let go of some things, like the day we died, but that doesn't mean you have to forget about us," her mother says, "Just remember that, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, or some friendly advice, we, as well as Granny, Macintosh, and even Apple Bloom, are here for you." Applejack stifles another sob, "Thank you. I love and miss you both," she adds, giving them one last hug as they become transparent again. "We love you too, sweetie," her parents reply as they fade away and Applejack closes her eyes . . . * * * * When Applejack reawakens, she is lying in a patient's bed in Ponyville Hospital; she looks around the room and smiles at the numerous gifts and cards left by her loved ones. In one of the corners of the room, she sees Big Mac and Apple Bloom curled together for comfort in an armchair; Applejack's smile grows wider thinking about the two of them not leaving her side until she gets better. She watches them until they begin to stir; Apple Bloom is the first to notice Applejack and races over to her bedside, tears of joy filling her eyes. Even Big Mac cannot hold back a tear or two upon seeing his sister make a full recovery after her incident. At that moment, a nurse steps into the room, clipboard in one hoof, a stethoscope in the other. "Oh, hello there," she says upon seeing Applejack sentient, "Nice to see you're awake. Should consider yourself lucky, most ponies with your injuries often don't make it." She checks a few things with Applejack's vitals and departs as quickly as she entered. "Oh, Applejack!" Apple Bloom cries into her sister's neck, "I'm sorry I said the things I did to you! I didn't mean any of it!" "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Applejack says, tears starting to form. "Well, I also knew about it," Big Mac confesses, "so I'm partially to blame for it." "No, it was my burden to bear," Applejack says, "but fortunately not any longer." "Really, Applejack?" Apple Bloom says, "Does this mean you'll stop moping around the house?" Everypony in the room laughs whole-heartedly - something that has not happened for a long time. "In a way, sugarcube," Applejack responds, "yes, you're right. I won't let our parents' death take up my time - after all, they're watching over us to make sure we do things right, anyways!" With that, Big Mac and Apple Bloom give Applejack as big a hug as her injuries would allow and laugh and talk about less stressful and more fun-filled times to come.
