Apple Bloom pulled an especially dusty cardboard box from a stack she had been helping to organize. It was after the holidays and The Apple Siblings had decided to bond over a day spent cleaning and finding old memories in the attic. It was the dead of winter, the limbo between Hearths Warming and they new year when everything seemed the bleakest and most gray. Although they had to help the livestock get all settled in and hunkered down for an oncoming snowstorm later that day, they didn't have many other chores, allowing them to take this time to be together.
“Have any idea what's in this one, Big Mac?” Apple Bloom asked as she used her tail to send the dust cascading around the room, specs of it falling like the fat flakes of wintery snow outside.
“Nnnope.” The red stallion said as he stacked one of the organized boxes against the wall.
“Well, there's only way to find out,” Applejack said as she set down the marker she was using to label the containers and picked up a box cutter. With it, she made quick work of the packing tape that sealed it.
All three Apples looked down into it to see what was in the box. Most of its volume was filled with a patchwork quilt, resting on top of that was a stuffed doll with button eyes, one of which was hanging on by just a few threads. The only other item that seemed to be there was a hat, similar to the ones Applejack wore, except more weather-worn and a little more beaten up.
“Hey, I remember this!” Apple Bloom said excitedly as she pulled out the doll from the assortment of items and held it gingerly in one hoof, as though she was afraid that it might fall apart if too roughly handled, which considering the dilapidated state of the seams like could have been a real possibility. “I played with this all the time when I was littler! I thought I had lost it...”
She turned her gaze to her siblings, the joy in her expression fading a shade. “Didn't...Didn’t ma sew this for me before she...”
All three of them turned their heads to the ground. It was painful, thinking of their parents. It had always been painful. They just had so little time with them, in Apple Bloom’s case absolutely none.
“I know this might be...difficult but.” She sighed and looked sincerely into her brother and sister’s eyes. “I want to know...I want to know how they died.”
Applejack got defensive, a harsh note appearing in her voice. Her sister didn't need to know about that...not yet. “Apple Bloom I told you-”
“I know! Not until I'm older...” The youngest Apple said becoming more and more distraught, tears coming to her eyes as she began breathing heavily. “B-but they-they were my parents too and-and I have a right to know!”
They stayed there for a moment, Apple Bloom crying quietly as she held the raggedy doll close, Applejack felt ashamed for making her sister feel bad, and Big Mac sat between the two not knowing how to help either of them.
“Are you three still up there?” Granny Smith called up to the siblings as she herself climbed to the attic herself. “You must be as cold as a windego’s hindquarters sitting up,in that drafty attic. Why don't you come downstairs a spell for some hot co-ooh deary me.” As soon as she had spied Apple Boom, clutching the doll the way she was, she could guess what's going on.
Granny wrapped one of her knobby forequarters around the little filly. “Oh there, there Apple Bloom...it seems we need that cocoa break more than I thought...”
“I wanna know...”. Apple bloom said softly again as she pressed herself against her Grand Mare’s body.
“I know, Sugarcube.” The elderly mare said with a gentle smile. “And I suppose it's wrong to keep it from you anymore...Big Mac?”
The stallion's ears perked up when he heard himself referred to. “Eeyup?”
“Can you take that box down to the main room, your sisters and I will be along afterward.”
He gave “Eeyup” before lifting the box with his neck and sliding it down onto his back.
Applejack sighed and drew her hat brim over her eyes in shame. “Shucks, I’m sorry. To both of ya. I shouldn't get all worked up over this. I’m supposed to be the pillar of this family, after all!” She was becoming more frustrated at herself, frustrated that she didn't handle the situation properly.
“Now Applejack,” Granny Smith chided while holding the still emotional Apple Bloom. “No one blames you, for getting upset. No pony should have gone through what you three have! Especially at such a young age. Why don't come downstairs and we can all be together while we talk.”
“You-You go on,” Applejack said with a weak smile.”I'll be down in a couple shakes.”
“Alright then,” Granny said before she gently lead the filly in her embrace down to the main room, It warmed and lit by a wood fireplace that Big Mac had taken the liberty of tending to while he waited for his sisters and Granny Smith to come down from the attic.
“Why don't you lay that quilt across the table and I'll go get the cocoa from the kitchen,” Granny said as she smiled kindly at her Grand Filly.
Sniffling as she whipped a tear from the corner of her eye, Apple Bloom smiled and nodded . “Sure thing Granny.”
Setting the hat aside, for now, Apple Bloom took a corner of the quilt and with one fluid motion unfurled its large area and laid it across the table. Now that it was all laid out she could really appreciate the design. There was a large square in the center on which was stitched an intricately crafted apple tree, the border was checked pattern of smaller red and green squares four rows wide.
“This is the most beautiful quilt I’ve ever seen!” Apple Bloom exclaimed as she admired the attention to detail evident in the quilt, each stitch seems to be the brush stroke of a master artist.
As Big Mac gave an “Eeyup” of an agreement he nearly dropped the fire poker that he still had in his mouth.
“Your mother sewed that.” Granny Smith said as she set the platter of cocoa mugs on a side table. “Well the center square and first row were sewed by all the mares in the family on the occasion of your parent's wedding, according to tradition, but everything else was your mother's hoof work. Look on that square there.”
Apple Bloom looked at the square the old mare pointed to, a red one on the second row. “Why, Big Macs name is stitched into it! And his birthday too!”
“That's right, your mother would add another row of checkered squares whenever one of you little tykes would be born.” Granny then sighed and looked more somber. “Of course...she always thought she'd finish...”
Orange Creme, a mare of kind disposition and beautiful countenance. She was mostly white, though she had orangish red freckles all over her body and a golden mane she kept in a tight bun behind her head. She tried stifling a cough in a white handkerchief as she laid in bed with a quilt and sewing supplies lying on top of her and her swollen belly.
There was a knock and the door and in came Granny Smith, or as she was known to Orange Creme, Mama Smith, came in with a tray of hot soup and crackers. “Oh Mama Smith, you so good to me,” Orange said with a pleasant smile as she pushed some of the sewing away. “I know I'm not real Apple but you sure make me feel like one!”
“Oh, hush! Not a real Apple?! You're as much an Apple as me or the little one you got kicking about inside ya!” Mama smith said as she sat the tray down on oranges lap. “What are you gonna call the little one anyways?”
“Well, I think I'd let Golden chose if it's a colt.” She said before adding a spoonful of the nourishing broth into her mouth. “But if it's a filly I'd like to call her Apple Bloom.”
“Well that's a lovely name, and we should know what it is soon enough,” Granny said as she looked out the window and across the late autumnal colors that painted Sweet Apple Acres in lovely vivid colors. “After all Doc Clear Eyes should be coming today”
“Yeah... hopefully Golden will be able to finish his chores soon,” Orange said turning to the window as well, hoping to spy her husband, Golden Apple, in the fields, or hopefully making his way back to the house. “I'd like him to be here when we find out for once.”
“Don't worry, Mac is finally old enough to be out there with him!” The older mare said as she came behind Orange and fluffed up the pillows she was resting on. “I'm sure with an extra set of hooves they'll get the work done in a flash.”
“Yeah I'm sure they will,” Orange said before she was struck with another fit of coughing.
“Ohh you better rest and get well.” Granny Smith said going over to Orange and making she was in the most comfortable position again. “Finish your soup and then you outta catch 40 winks or so.”
“Honestly Mama,” Orange said with her signature gentle smile. “One stubborn cough won't hurt me.”
“That might be true, but you need to think about the baby as well!” Mama Smith said with concern as started picking up some of the fabric clippings on the floor. “You just rest and I can take care of the rest.”
“Alright then,” Orange said, conceding to the other mare. “But can you set the scraps on the nightstand for me. I think I'll use them to make a doll for this young one.”
“Alright, but make sure to rest and not just sew,” Granny said sighing. “I'm going to check in Applejack, I left her making dough for pie crusts and I should really see how she's doing.”
“Alright, give her my love will you?”
“Ah, there you are Applejack.” Granny Smith said spying the hatted mare coming into the room. “I thought you said you'd only be a minute, the marshmallow has nearly melted into your cocoa!”
“I'm sorry, really I am...” she said sitting on a couch next to her brother and sister. “I guess I kinda lost track of time up there...”
“Ahh, that's no matter.” Granny Smith said as she rocked back in her chair. “Umm...where was I Apple Bloom?”
“When the doctor was coming to visit Ma!” Apple Bloom replied happily before taking a long sip of her own hot cocoa.
“Ohh yeah, that's right.”
Golden Apple was a kind stallion, he'd often give whole barrel fulls of apples to those he knew couldn't afford them. In the sense of physical build, his was similar to Big Mac, tall, powerful, with strong bold features. But his body was colored a golden orange, not unlike the shade of Applejacks coat and with the same straw colored hair too, forming messy peaks on top of his head. Of course, he also wore a hat as well as a goatee and mustache that gave the end of his snout a scruffy, rugged appearance.
“Now son do you know why this tree is special?” Golden asked as young Big Mac pulled the colt pulled wagon that they were putting their day’s harvest in up to the tree in question.
He looked up and down the tree. It didn't seem particularly tall or wide, or even that old in this part of the orchard. “Nope,” he ended up replying.
“This is the last tree we need to buck, for the last harvest of this year,” Golden said to enlighten his son as he set the last baskets around the base of the tree. “In fact, this is the very same tree my Daddy and I bucked on my first, last harvest. He let me buck it then and I’m going to let you buck it now.” He added as he helped his son out of the harness. “Do you think you're ready for this?”
“Y-y-yup,” Mac said with a nervous smile as he trotted towards the tree.
“Now remember what I taught you,” Golden said as he walked with his son. “Turn so you face the tree with your hindquarters, rear up on your front legs, and kick out, hard!”
Following his father's instructions in order, Big Mac hit the trees trunk squarely, causing it to drop all the apples it was clutching in its branches to the ground.
Feeling proud of himself Mac beamed at his father, only to be hit on the head by a late falling apple, making his father chuckle. “That was a good one Mac, it took me a least five tries to make all the apples fall from the tree when I did it.”
At that time Mac tapped his father's shoulder and pointed him back towards the barn, making Golden turn and see the doctor getting unhitched from his wagon. “Holy molasses, Mac! I need to get back! You’ll be fine taking all these apples back to the barn won't you?”
“Eeyup.” He said as he got he started picking up the loose apples on the ground and putting them into baskets like the others.
“Thanks, son!” Golden Apple said right before he started to gallop off as fast as he could towards his home. The soft earth of his farm only seems to push him along to his destination. He had promised his wife that he'd be there. He’d missed this milestone for both of his previous children. He didn't want to miss it for the third. When he got into the house he only stopped to kiss Applejack, who was sitting in the kitchen waiting for the pie to cook, to put his hat on her head, which in turn caused the brim to fall over her eyes, making her giggle happily.
“I love ya, Jackie.” He said smiling happily at his loving daughter before ascending the steps to the master bedroom.
As he burst in, panting, Doctor Clear Eyes, a stocky bespectacled unicorn, looked very sober while he put his stethoscope to Orange Creme’s chest, having her breath deeply.
“What-what's wrong!” He asked concerned by the serious air in the room, “Is-is the baby okay?”
“Your foal is fine Golden.” The doctor said, sighing as he took the earpieces of the stethoscope out of his and draped it around his neck. “I don’t like the sound of Orange’s lungs, though...Have you had that cough for long, Ma’am?”
“A few weeks,” She said tried not to cough again and punctuate how bad her health really was.
“Mm-hmm, that's that what I thought...” The doc said as he put away his stethoscope. “It’s probably nothing. I’m still going to prescribe you something, though.”
“Ummm doc, you do remember what you came here for right.” Orange gently reminded him with a smile.
“Oh right um.” The doctor's horn lit up and a magic aura came across Orange’s belly.
Golden chewed on his lower lip nervously as he waited for the results of the doctor’s spell. Honestly, it felt like an eternity as he stood right behind the doctor. Feeling crowded by the farmer breathing down his neck, the doctor cleared his throat as a sign for him to back off.
Blushing deeply, causing his cheeks to take on a red shade, he backed away and let the doctor continue.
“Well, what do you think?” Orange asked kindly with an excited smile.
The doc chuckled as his magic dissipated, “I think your Applejack will be excited to have a little sister.”
“Another daughter!?” Golden said with excitement, a brightness welling up in his eyes.
“Come here you scruffy muzzle,” Orange said putting a hoof behind Golden’s head and bringing him in to kiss him deeply.
“Well,” The doctor, now blushing himself as he hovered his medicine bag onto his back. “I know when I should go.”
The couple didn’t break from their lip lock until the doctor was well and truly downstairs. As soon as Orange breathed in deeply again, she began to cough, more violently than before, quickly covering her mouth with her handkerchief.
“Are you sure you're okay there honey?” Golden said, as Orange quickly folded the lacey white cloth, to conceal the new crimson stain. “It sounds like you're coughing up a lung there.”
“Oh yes, I’m totally fine.” She lied with a smile on her lips. “Why don’t you go help Mac put the apple harvest away.”
“Yeah, that's a good idea,” Golden said kissing his wife’s cheek before going to exit the room.
“Oh, and darling,” Orange said before she lost the chance. “Give him my love.”
Granny continued to relate her story to her captivated audience, the three siblings sitting at the edge of their seats. Even Applejack hadn't heard some the details of these stories. “There was a storm that night.” Granny Smith said, picking up the hat from where Apple Bloom had left it. “A humdinger of a winter storm had broken free from Cloudsdale... Ponyville wasn’t ready...”
“Love, do you really need to go?” Orange pleaded as Golden bundled up to prepare for the blizzard he was about to go out into. Young Applejack was at her mother’s heels.
“Ponies in town are going to have a thought time out there tonight,” Golden said as he righted his hat on his head. “It was lucky we got that harvest in when we did. Other ponies won’t be so lucky.”
“Just-just be careful...rogue storms don’t happen that often...” Orange said hugging her husband. “It’s scary...”
“Now now darling,” Golden said smiling confident swagger. “This is Golden Apple we're talking about here, the strongest stallion in all of Ponyville!”
At that statement, he decided to gallop out into the storm, but he didn’t go alone. Applejack darted out with him, slipping out into the storm before Orange Creme could stop her.
“Daddy!” The young pony called out as she struggled against the wind and building snowbanks. “Daddy I wanna come help too!”
”Jackie!” Golden said turning back to his filly. “Jackie, I need you to go back to your Ma.”
“But-” The filly was about to protest but was interrupted by her father.
“Jackie, I’m sure then when you're older, you’ll be just as big and strong as anypony” He said kneeling down in the snow to be closer to the daughter so he could see the earnestness in his eyes. “Heck, you're so brave I wouldn’t be surprised if you grew up to save all of Equestria one day. But today you need to stay in the barn with your mother. Can you do for me, Jackie?”
The filly sniffled and nodded.
“That’s my girl,” Golden said before galloping back into the storm.
Applejack stood there for a minute or two watching her father disappeared into the whitewash of the blizzard. Before turning back to the light of the barn.
When Golden got to town, he was nearly white with the snow that was packed onto him. Ponies were throwing tarps over bushes and flower beds to try and protect them from the cold. Pegasi were trying their best to bust up the storm and diminish its power, but the winds were still strong to tear off whole limbs of trees and carry them a fair distance.
“Golden!” A Pegasus called from the skies, barely dodging a branch that was flying right at her head. “Thank Celestia you're here! We're in more trouble than we thought! The storm must have combined with some of the wild weather patterns over The Everfree Forest.”
“What do you need me to do?” The Apple patriarch called out over the roaring winds.
“Well, we get everypony safe inside! That hast to be a priority!” The pegasus said before she was caught in one of the tarps that must have gotten away from the pony that was laying it down.
Golden nodded and immediately got to work. As a respected community leader, most ponies listened to him, abandoning their whatever they were doing and getting inside and into shelter. He was ushering a mother and foals out of the street when a large tree that was growing on one of the residents land, starting to creak and crack.
As it began to fall, and its ominous shadow grew over the hapless family there was one thing Golden could do. Jumping into the path of danger, Golden caught the heavy trunk squarely on his back.
“Go!” He said with a struggle to the mare who was holding her foals close while they all cowered.
“T-thank you!” The mare said, her voice shaking from the shock of it all as she lead her foals away from the danger. After they were clear, Golden had one only thought. He had to get this tree off of him!
He first called out, but no one was on the streets, he had made sure of that, and the pegasi above couldn’t hear him, the roaring winds made sure of that. He had to help himself. Perhaps if he could roll it behind him... He had to try. He bucked up, but it only made him lose his stance and collapse to the ground.
He couldn’t breathe!
He can’t be crushed by this!
He needed to get back to his family, Mac, Applejack, his unborn daughter...Orange Creme....
“Your father was a hero that night.” Granny Smith said setting the hat on top of the Quilt. “Only he died that night... It could have been a lot more if he didn’t get all those ponies to safety.”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the Apple house. Even the famously stoic Applejack had tears welling up in her eyes. Gingerly, she picked up her father's hat and held it close to her chest. She didn’t think about it before, or perhaps she just didn’t notice, but she really missed her father.
“You are very much your father's daughter Applejack.” Granny Smith said as she reached over and wiped a tear away from the rugged farm fillies cheek. “So strong, and hard-working, and brave to a fault.”
“Ah thank ya Granny...” Applejack said as she exchanged the hat she was wearing for her father’s. “I just hope I can live up to his example,”
“Live up to it?” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Sis, you’ve saved Equestria like a dozen times!”
“Well, That’s true,” Applejack said. “What I really meant is that I hope to be as good of a parent as he was.”
Once again Big Mac gave an “Eeyup.” of agreement.
“Well if you’d ever find some special someone, and settle down you just might Big Mac.” Granny Smith teased with a sharp, piercing glint in her eye.
Big Mac blushed, turning an extra brilliant shade of Red as he tramped against the ground below him.
“Anyway,” she said starting the story again. “After they buried your father, your mother didn’t eat, or go out of her room much...”
Applejack and Big Mac paced downstairs as the whole house was filled with the sounds of their mother's labor pains. There were several times where Applejack wanted to go up and take a peek at what was going on, but each time she was turned back, Granny Smith.
After several hours of waiting, a new sound was heard in the Apple home, the crying of the brand new baby filly, Apple Bloom. A few moments later Doc Clear Eyes came down looking very grim. “Umm, Perhaps you two should go see your mother.” He said hanging his head a little.
The siblings were struck by his tone. Something was wrong but they didn’t know what. While Applejack rushed upstairs to see what was up for herself, Mac waited a while and watched the Doctor come in to sit on their couch and bury his head in his hooves.
“Applejack, Come close and meet your baby sister.” Orange Creme said weakly beckoning her over as she held the bundle in her hooves. Applejack was a bit nervous but she trotted up and set her hoofs on the bed, looking into the blankets and the chubby yellow face of her peacefully sleeping sister. “Her name is Apple Bloom.”
“Well, Howdy there Apple Bloom,” Applejack whispered smiling a little, the first time she really smiled after her father had died.
At this time Mac also slipped into the room, and seeing that he had arrived Orange asked Granny Smith to hold the new foal, and motioned for her children to come close.”My darlings...I think I’m going to have to leave you soon.” They both looked concerned and like they were going to protest, but they were silenced by a motion of their mother’s hoof.
She continued turning to her eldest and gently resting a hoof on his cheek. “Mac...Mac my Big colt...Your sisters will be depending on you. I need you to always be strong. No matter what happens, not matter the circumstances. You must be strong... for me.”
She coughed a little. Her voice was growing raspy as she spoke, but her smile was gentle, no matter how weak.
“Applejack.” She said turning to her daughter and similarly put a hoof to her cheek. She felt a wetness there she cooed a little. “Ohh Applejack, don’t cry. This is not the end I’m just going to be with your father and we’ll always be with you and watching over you.”
“I know, Mama,” Applejack said sniffling as she nuzzled her mother's hoof. “I know I’ll see you again...someday.”
“That you will,” Orange assured before coughing again. “But now...be true...be true in the way you treat others. Be true to where you came from. But most of all...” She let her hoof slip from her daughter's cheek to her chest. “Be true...to your heart.”
“I will Mama!” She said firmly, brushing her tears away with new determination. “I promise I will.”
“Oh come here.” She said pulling them both into a hug, which they returned tightly. “I love you both.”
Finally, resting her head on the pillows, letting her hoofs fall to her side, and closing her eyes, she faintly whispered. “I’ll give your love to your father....”
The embers burnt low in the fireplace. The light grew dim but the warmth in the room remained
Apple Bloom yawned, and stretched herself out. “I’m so plum tuckered out I don’t think I can make it up to bed.” She said as rubbed the last tears out eyes.
“I could say the same,” Applejack said, yawing also. “Why don’t we all just sleep here on the couch together tonight.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Big sis.” Apple Bloom said sleepily as curled up on the couch between her two siblings.
Thinking fast, Big Mac took their mother's quilt from the table and wrapped it around the three of them, before making himself comfortable as well.
Granny Smith smiled as she watched grand foals all slip into the peace of sleep. As she got up to get her own old bones to bed she looked down into the box. “Well, I’ll be.” She said as she reached down into it. “Will you look at that.”
The box hadn't been completely emptied out, at the very bottom, there was framed picture. A picture of Golden Apple and Orange Creme smiling up at her.