Sweet dreams, bitter reality

Chapters

Apples and lies
Dreaming
Telling her
Sitting in a tree
Breaking point

Apples and lies

Author's Note

This is the first story I've ever published, and I hope you like it. x3 Please let me know your thoughts!
If you don't have the time or don't want to read all of it, please give it a chance or skim over it or something, your opinion means a lot to me! So please just take a minute to read over what I have, to see if you're interested in reading the rest. It looks longer than it is, due to formatting and dialogue. And this first chapter is a little slow to get to the good part, but the next chapter is a lot faster and has a surprise!

Also BIG SHOUT OUT TO SHADOHAWK, THANKS SO MUCH FOR PROOFREADING AND EDITING MY STUFF! HE'S ALSO A VERY NICE GUY, YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT HIS STUFF BECAUSE HE'S BETTER AT WRITING THAN ME!

And last thought. I put a lot of time and effort into this, so yeah.
I hope to make it to the featured box to increase feedback, so IF YOU'VE EVER HAD THAT DREAM, (ahem) please comment, thumbs-up, favorite if you like my stuff, consider following me, all that good stuff!
Or else karma will gitchou and your stories will be forgotten!

THANK YOU!

Apples and lies

The sun shone brightly through the parted, silk curtains. A sliver of the light landed among the face of a sleeping girl, causing her to stir. She yawned, and squinted her eyes at the window to confirm it was time to wake. The light glanced off of her bright emerald-green eyes, and shone through her long, curly, purple and pink hair.

A bird started to sing, just out of sight, and the girl smiled before starting to hum along. She opened her eyes and rose, carrying the last note of the song slightly longer than the bird, before she continued the song in her own way, making new notes to improvise the melody. Her voice was soft and sweet, and her tune a catchy one.

She quickly dressed, made her bed, and visited the bathroom to fix her hair and brush her teeth. Then, silently slipped down the stairs to eat her breakfast before leaving for school, careful not to wake her sister, who should still be sleeping at the moment. But it came as a shock to find her at the kitchen table, passed out with a half-full mug of cold coffee in one of her hands, and an opened letter in the other.

“Rarity?” The girl poked her sister's arm, attempting to arouse her. “Are you okay?”

She moaned and opened her bloodshot eyes, raising her head to stare into her sister's eyes.

“Sweetie Belle?” Tears started to form in her eyes.

“What's wrong?”

Rarity pushed her coffee mug away and gripped the letter in both of her hands.

“We have to talk, about mom and dad.”

Sweetie Belle's heart beat fast, something was horribly wrong. She wanted to ask a millions questions then, but her voice caught in her throat.

“You know how mom and dad left for Manehatten again, for family and business matters?”

All Sweetie Belle could do was nod.

“They won't be coming back.”

She still couldn't say anything. Her stomach flipped as she thought, “Why?”.

“The city was attacked, by griffons. They're dead, Sweetie.”

~~~

“-That was a few months ago, a long time after my fifteenth birthday. I'm sixteen now, but it still hurts like it was yesterday. I still find it hard to focus, I don't know how Rarity gets along so well. Actually, I lied, she hasn't been getting along as well as I say. She is moody, easily angered, and obviously stressed. She yells at me often, over the smallest of mistakes and accidents. Even when I try to help, she pushes me away, like I'll make it worse. She acts just like she did a few years ago, back when I was a sweet little girl that only wanted to help her mean sister. Things got better, and we've been building back a relationship recently. But, it kind of all fell apart after the letter, and she's even worse than before.

“She's kind of taken over the mother figure in this small family, but she will never replace my actual mom, who was kind and patient, always there for you when you needed her. I've started to hate Rarity, to be honest. I feel like my parents have been taken away and replaced with a bad sister, and I'm angry at her for it. I know it's not fair, but I can't convince myself that it's not her fault, and it's tearing us apart. I try to avoid her at all costs, and I almost never talk to her anymore. That was fine with her though, and easy for me. She spends most of her time locked away in her work room now, and only ever leaves to make dinner or go to the market. Her business has been suffering lately, I think it has something to do with the war. People don't need to spend exorbitant sums of money on clothes, but instead food or supplies.

“Apple Bloom tells me Applejack has been making extra money recently, due to the recent need for food, so at least they're doing well. Rarity's business has done nothing for us so far, and her second boutique, the one in Manehatten, was destroyed, which only upset her more, and caused more trouble for me. I get away though, I now spend most of my time in the CMC's Clubhouse with the others. Apple Bloom has been doing fine, but I think Scootaloo's been dabbling a bit in drugs or something, from how she looks now.

“Any time I don't spend in the Clubhouse, I spend with Apple Bloom, which I'm grateful for. I even help her at the farm.
Anytime I can be with her, I am. In fact, shortly after me and Rarity got that damned letter, I saw her at school. She had heard about it, and after school we talked about it. Scootaloo disappeared after the bell, so it was just me and her. We sat under a tree in the school's front lot, waiting for the bus. She wrapped me in a tight hug, and I cried, and she consoled.

“Since then, I don't know how I feel about her. She's been more of a sister to me than Rarity has, but I feel different about her than just that. Her embrace sent shivers down my spine, and made my stomach turn over a few times, and that's never really happened before.
I've actually been feeling... different, when I'm around her for a while now, but the time I cried in her arms was what really got me thinking.

“I don't know exactly when it started, really. Maybe when I was around fourteen, I guess. It's grown a lot since then. One moment I comment on how pretty she looks in a dress, and the next I'm literally dreaming about her. About us. Then, out of the blue, all I want to do is hold her hand, feel her touch. Fantasizing about us-... I don't want to write it, it feels weird.

Kissing. There, I wrote it, and it's giving me goosebumps.

“We've known each other for so long though, it's weird that I like her all of a sudden. But that's what happens sometimes, right? I don't know, everything is muddled and confusing. I shouldn't write about it too much though, or I'll start going into detail, and then I'll have to think about it. And I can't do that right now. We're just friends for now, and I'm happy with that at the moment. I think. I mean I'd be happier if we were together, but that would require telling her. So yeah, until I get a boost of confidence, I'm happy with being friends.

“I'm gonna go for a walk now, maybe it'll clear my head. Perhaps I should talk to Apple Bloom again, it could help me understand how I feel about everything else. I'll write in you again, diary. Later, maybe. Probably.”

~~~

Sweetie Belle walked down a semi-deserted street, her footsteps echoing against the walls of nearby buildings. There was a bounce in her step, and in the curls of her hair, but an unsure look on her face.

She was nearing the farm, and she could already see a familiar figure in the distance on a green hill that was contrasted sharply by the gray sky, with clouds so thick it was difficult to tell where the sun should have shone through.

There was a hesitancy in Sweetie's movement, but she fought it, as she thought of having to instead return to the boutique feeling empty, and sitting among the eeriness and deserted feeling of the place.

A bitter wind picked up, and her skirt and hair billowed behind her. And of course, a paper flew into her face.

Sweetie pulled it from her face, and inspected it. It was a beige poster, advertising the army, and urging more people to join in the fight. There were a few cliché words on the front about uniting to defeat the enemy, and a picture of two people in armor, a woman and a man. She almost threw the paper away, dismissing the annoying thing. But then realized, with a start, that they looked exactly like her parents. She closed her eyes and opened them again. Yup, definitely still them, it wasn't her mind playing tricks. What were her parents doing on the front of a poster? Especially since they were... Gone?

Sweetie Belle folded it neatly and stuffed it in her pocket; the sight of their faces causing a sharp pain in the side of her head. Whatever the reason, she could figure it out later, maybe even ask Apple Bloom. Celestia, why did she rely so much on her best friend nowadays.

She resumed her walk, and the wind resumed blowing.

The gate of the farm creaked with the sway of the constant gusts. Sweetie Belle opened it and shut it behind her, knowing she'd be welcome on the land. A few minutes walk led her to the orchard Apple Bloom was working in, and she approached slowly, hoping to scare the poor girl.

“Yer too loud, Sweetie Belle. Ah could hear ya comin' a mile away.” Apple Bloomed turned, holding a wicker basket full of apples with one hand, balancing the other side on her hip.

“What? I didn't even step on a twig this time!” Sweetie exclaimed, stepping out from behind a clump of bushes, an incredulous smile on her face.

Apple Bloom laughed, dropping an apple into her basket. Her laugh was sweet, and it made Sweetie feel hot and cold at the same time, and she laughed along.

“Seriously though, how do you do it?”

Apple Bloom set the basket on the ground before jumping up and grabbing a branch of the nearby tree, hoisting herself up to reach the apples in the uppermost part of the tree. She made it look effortless, especially in the tight jeans she wore, which would normally restrain your legs from bending easily. But Bloom pulled it off, in quite an attractive manner. Sweetie blushed and looked away, hoping she hadn't noticed.

“If ya spend enough time by yerself in the woods, ya know when yer alone and when yer not. In fact, Ah can hear them bunnies in the bush over yonder, cute li'l things.” She pointed to a bush thirty feet away, and Sweetie wondered how anybody could hear such a thing.

While she focused on listening for the fainest of sounds, an apple fell and hit the ground near her feet.

“Consarnit! Ah keep droppin' them damned apples, every tahm Ah climb a tree! Ya might wanna watch out, 'case Ah drop another.”

Sweetie picked the apple up from the hard ground, and dropped it into the basket.

“Heads up!” Apple Bloom called, and Sweetie instinctively used her magic to catch the falling object.

“Nice catch,” Bloom laughed. “Can ya do it again? It would sure speed this up.”

“Of course!” Sweetie smiled. Her hands lit up green as she prepared to catch the incoming barrage of fruit.

Apple after apple dropped, and Sweetie didn't let a single one reach the ground, bruising itself from the fall. Instead, they were levitated into the basket.

The last apple in the tree, in the highest part, shone in the light of the coming sunset, taunting Apple Bloom to reach up and pick it. She clung to a branch and stretched as far as she could, but could only touch it with her fingertips. Readjusting her position, she tried again, and lost her balance.

“Woah, aaaah!” She fell through the tree, taking branches down with her, which didn't even slow her fall.

Sweetie looked up, trying to cast a spell strong enough to catch her. Outstretching her hands, she could only produce enough magic to slow her rapid descent.

Apple Bloom crashed into Sweetie, as she tried to catch her. They both hit the ground hard, and if it weren't for the last-second spell, one of them would've broken something. Luckily though, Sweetie Belle sat up, looking dazed, feeling a surge of pain in her tailbone.

“Ow! Are you okay Apple Bloom?”

She lay in Sweetie's lap, her eyes open as she rubbed the back of her head. She laughed, stirring a giggle from Sweetie Belle.

“Ah'm fine, you?”

Aside from the pain in her tailbone, and the butterflies in her stomach from holding Apple Bloom, she felt fine.

“I'm good.” She smiled. Their faces were inches apart, and Sweetie Belle could feel her breath, and smell something in her hair that reminded her of cinnamon. How badly she wanted to reach out with her hands and softly brush her beautiful face. She would instantly trade all of the diamonds in the world just to stay here like this, holding her.

“Don't even think about it, Sweetie.” She told herself as a scenario ran through her mind, one that was entirely fantasy and not in the least bit realistic.

Bloom didn't seem to notice, however.

She stood up, and offered a hand to Sweetie, shattering her dream of sitting together for an eternity.

Her orange eyes glittered in the setting sun, and reflected through her red hair. Then there were her freckles, which almost made Sweetie Belle blush as she took her hand, standing up.

“Ah guess that concludes mah work fer the day, wanna head to the house?”

“Um,” Sweetie thought for a moment, feeling a warmth on her back. Turning, she noticed the sun setting.

“I was thinking maybe we could talk here.”

Apple Bloom had spent most of her day after school outside, in the heat of autumn and the stickiness of it all, so she didn't exactly want to stay outside any longer. But, if her friend wanted to have a private conversation, than she would be happy to oblige.

“Sure.” She sat on the leaf ridden ground, with her back against the tree. “What's on yer mind?”

“A lot, probably more than you care to know.” Sweetie Belle sighed, sitting down next to her. Bloom nodded, sympathizing with her.

“You can tell me, Ah won't mind.”

“Okay. Uh,” She glanced at the sun as it disappeared behind a faraway mountain. The day's last light matched the colors of the turning leaves of nearby orchards, with pinks, oranges, and reds.

“That's pretty.” She pointed at the scene, and Apple Bloom followed her gaze.

“Eh, Ah see that all the time. Still, it never gets old, it's always just as beautiful.”

There was a moment of silence as they took it in, and Sweetie Belle tried to think of a new excuse to avoid the topic she knew she'd eventually have to bring up.

“But seriously, what's on yer mind?”

The wind blew, rustling the leaves on the ground, reminding Sweetie of the paper that had earlier blew into her face.

“I found this, while I was walking here.” She pulled it out of her pocket, unfolding it and handing the thing to Apple Bloom, who inspected it for a moment.

“That's yer parents, ain't it?”

“Mhm, but I don't know how or why they'd be on a poster, especially one advertising the army. Unless...”

Bloom thought for a second.

“Unless they didn't leave fer Manehatten fer 'family business'.”

“You mean they lied?”

“It's possible, if they didn't wantchou worryin' 'bout 'em.”

Sweetie Belle shivered at the thought.

“So, they left to fight? In the war?”

Apple Bloom shrugged.

“I heard the Griffons were movin', maybe even thinking about 'ttacking Ponyville next, since they already had Fillydelphia and Baltimare. They might've been tryin' to protect you and Rarity.”

“But we fought them off!” Sweetie exclaimed, her voice breaking slightly. “We took back Manehatten!”

“No need for yellin', girl. Maybe the only way we fought 'em off was because of yer parents.”

She thought about it, and it made sense.

Sweetie Belle readjusted her position and accidentally brushed hands with Apple Bloom. This brought a heat to her face as she apologized. Apple Bloom looked at her inquisitively, wondering why it was a big deal.

“Anything else ya wanna talk about?”

Sweetie Belle laughed awkwardly and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, battling with herself to actually tell the truth.

“Yeah, actually. Recently, I mean, after that letter came, things have kind of changed, for me.” Her voice kept catching in her throat, and her face was turning as red as Apple blooms hair.

“What I mean is, I've started to feel a bit differently- about, certain people...”

Apple Bloom's gaze was curious, and looking into her eyes only made Sweetie Belle hesitate.

“That sounds reasonable, Ah mean, I guess Ah would, dependin' on the person. Family, perhaps. Definitely Griffons.”

Sweetie laughed awkwardly again before continuing her confession. Maybe she should just stop, this was moving a bit too quickly. They'd known each other for years, but it was so sudden, and it wouldn't be fair to spring this on her best friend in a day. Hadn't she already wrote in her Diary that she was okay with being friends for the moment? Of course, that was before they had talked again, before she was reminded of how beautiful she was, and how bright her smile was, and how her laugh was so... genuine. And that was before she remembered how lonely she felt, except for when she around Apple Bloom.

It was so hard, keeping quiet now, but so hard trying to speak.

“Are you okay? Ya seem a bit flustered.”

“What I'm trying to say is,” Sweetie blurted, unable to stand it any longer. “Is I've been feeling different towards-...”

Apple Bloom nodded, waiting for her to continue. Her smile was innocent, and she was unaware of what Sweetie was actually trying to say.

“I've been feeling different about Rarity! My sister!” Sweetie finished quickly, chickening out at the last second.

“Oh, well, why didn't ya just say so? No need to be 'fraid 'bout talking 'bout yer sister bein' so mean lately.”

“Yeeaah, she's been a bit mean, let's go with that.”

Sweetie felt like banging her head against a tree. She should've just admitted to it, what could've gone wrong? But she couldn't go back now, it was too late. Well, actually, not all was lost. There would be other opportunities, she just had to wait for it. Who knows how long that take, though.

Apple Bloom continued to talk to her, but she was numb for the rest of the time they spent together as she fantasized about what could've been, almost droning out the conversation entirely.

~~~

“-No, it would've been dumb to tell her, it was better I didn't.” Sweetie Belle squinted in the dim light, barely able to see the words she now wrote in her diary. The room was completely dark, save the green flame that hovered near her book like a candle. She fetched the poster out of her pocket to stare at it again, thinking over what possibly could have happened. What was going to happen?

The sun had gone done down an hour ago, it was foolish to sit in the dark, and a strain trying to write and keep the spell going at the same time. She rose from her bed to flick on the light, only to find her sister outside her doorway. She looked sickly, slightly paler than normal, with dark shadows under her eyes.

“We need to talk, -”

In anger, Sweetie Belle attempted to slam the door on her sister. Unfortunately, Rarity reached her hand into the doorway, and it slammed on her fingers, but stopped the door from closing.

“No we don't! ”

Despite how thin she looked, Rarity was surprisingly strong, and it was a struggle keeping her out as she pushed the door.

“I don't have anything to say to you!” Sweetie Belle yelled, as a blue aura encased her, pulling her away from the door.

Rarity stepped into the room easily as Sweetie fought the magic that bound her. Deciding to fight magic with magic, she used a spell to try and push her sister, which was unsuccessful, as Rarity deflected it.

“Sit down. Now.” She ordered, as the blue glow around Sweetie Belle dispersed. She sat, but she didn't stop glaring at Rarity.

“Mom wouldn't have pushed me with her magic! She would've waited outside the door, understanding that I didn't want to see her. Why don't you go back to your workroom and mope around some more?!”

This brought tears to Rarity's eyes, and a feeling of triumph to Sweetie.

“I can't, I should've been taking better care of you, and I'm sorry.”

That wasn't good enough, it would take a lot more than a simple 'I'm sorry'.

“That's it? That's all you wanted to say?”

Rarity bit her lip and looked at the floor.

“No, I have something else to tell you.”

“Fine, what is it?”

Rarity sat down on the bed next to Sweetie Belle, causing her some discomfort.

“What's that?” She asked sweetly, pointing to the poster on the bed, next to Sweetie Belle's diary.

“It doesn't matter.” Sweetie replied bitterly as she folded it up. She grabbed her diary as well, just in case Rarity decided to grab that and snoop around. She so far didn't know anything about Sweetie Belle's fancy, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Rarity sighed. This wasn't going anywhere.

“Let me see it. Now.”

Sweetie Belle scowled, but handed it over.

Rarity read over the poster, finally settling on the picture.

“So, it was all a lie, then?” Sweetie asked, waiting for a reaction from her sister.

Rarity sadly nodded, handing it back.

“You weren't supposed to know.”

“Oh! So that just makes it all better than? Am I in the wrong for figuring it out?”

“Darling,” Rarity tried, hoping for a bit of understanding. “You were too young, you were only twelve. They didn't want you to- be upset over it, or worry.”

“How am I supposed to trust anything you have to say?! What if you lie over everything, just to spare my poor feelings?!” Sweetie yelled, standing up from the bed.

“Don't talk to me like that! I-”

“I'll talk to you however I want! Mom!”

Rarity stopped, the pain shone in her eyes. Sweetie had said something that really bothered her.

“Dad's dead! Mom's dead! You are all I have left, but you aren't even there for me!” Tears now streamed down her cheeks, but that didn't stop her from saying the one thing you should never say to anyone in your family, especially if they're the only person you have left.

“I HATE YOU!”

Sweetie threw her diary at her sister, who had been too stunned by her words to even try to deflect the book with a spell. Luckily, she brought her arms up to defend her head, where it would have hit her. Instead, it hit her arm and fell to the ground. Pages flew into the air, ripped from the binding on impact. One of these pages was a nice drawing of Apple Bloom. She sat on a limb of a tree, a big smile on her face, and a beautiful landscape behind her. It was realistic, and it felt alive, like you were actually there with her.

Rarity looked at the ground. Whether she was looking at the picture or the floor, Sweetie didn't know. She didn't know what the picture meant, and she apparently had not seen the small heart on the corner of the page before Sweetie scooped the book up, along with the ripped pages, shutting it quickly. There was a long silence as they both took in what had happened.

“Your mother isn't dead, Sweetie.” Rarity muttered, finally.

Sweetie Belle held the diary and the tore pages close to her chest, wiping away the tears that flowed down her cheeks like a river.

“What? What do you mean?” Her voice broke, and she brushed a lock of wet hair away from her eyes.

Rarity slouched forward and sighed. She had a lot of explaining to do.

“So her death was a lie too? Is it all just one big lie?” Sweetie cried, unable to believe the words.

“No, wait. Where is she?! When can I see her?!”

Rarity started to cry now as well.

“Yes, her death was a lie. Your mother never died.”

Sweetie stopped crying. Her mom was alive? Could she see her? She hadn't seen much of her mother in the past four years, would they be together again?

“But there are a lot more lies, you just have to listen to me, and I'll explain as much as I can.”

“Where is she?! Tell me where she is!” Sweetie Belle demanded, her eyes red from crying.

Rarity took a shaky breath, wondering if she could ever repair what she had put her sister through.

No, not her sister-...

“I'm- I'm not your sister Sweetie, I'm your mom.”

She wondered if she could ever repair what she had put her daughter through.

~~~

Dreaming

There was that feeling in the air, the feeling you get on a Saturday morning. Something like relief, or anticipation, or something you couldn't really explain.

The air was scented with the smell of pancakes and syrup, and it was strong enough to reach Sweetie Belle through her unconscious, dreaming state of rest. Her eyes opened, and she sat up. Was that pancakes she smelled?

Slipping out of bed, she left her room and descended the stairs to the kitchen, still wearing her pajamas.

Rarity was at the stove, flipping pancakes in a frying pan with the use of magic.

“What are you doing?” Sweetie asked, wondering why Rarity was all of a sudden cooking breakfast. It had been months since she had eaten a cooked breakfast.

Rarity turned, and Sweetie immediately noticed that her face magically looked fuller. Either she was eating another dozen cartons of ice cream again, or she was wearing a ton of makeup. But it didn't look like either of those were the case. She just looked... healthy.

“Good morning Sweetie! Did you sleep well?” She beamed a bright smile that was alien to Sweetie Belle. Although, it didn't seem forced, but truly genuine. Strange.

“Uh, fine? Why?”

Rarity returned to the stove and turned it off.

“Just trying to be polite, darling.”

Even stranger.

Rarity dished the pancakes onto some plates, and set them on the table. Sweetie Belle hesitantly sat down, wondering what possibly could cause such strange behavior from her sister. No, her mother!

“Is this all just your way of apologizing for yesterday? For lying?” Sweetie Belle asked suspiciously as Rarity drizzled an unhealthy amount of syrup on Sweetie's plate.

“What? What happened yesterday darling?” Rarity asked as she returned to the kitchen counter to clean up.

“You basically came clean about all of your lies.” Sweetie reminded her in a sour tone as she took a bite of her pancakes. Surprisingly good.

“I actually don't know what it is you're talking about, darling.”

Was she serious?

“How could you not remember?” Sweetie paused, trying to get the word out. “Mom?”

Rarity looked up, a baffled look on her face. Then she started laughing.

“You had one strange dream last night, didn't you?” Rarity set two more plates on the table, making four.

“No! It wasn't a dream, you told me how you were my mom and my father was some jerk in your prep school when you were younger! You told me how you were such a young mother, but you wanted to raise me like a normal girl should be raised! And how mom and dad, or grand-ma and grand-pa I guess, raised me as our parents, to keep it secret!”

Rarity was completely confused now, and unable to speak.

With a sigh of frustration, Sweetie Belle took another bite of her breakfast. Despite how weird the situation was, the food was too good to ignore.

“What are the two extra plates for?” Sweetie asked, forgetting to swallow before she spoke. Rarity was about to remind her of table manners, but that's when the door opened.

“Sorry we're late kids!”

It was Sweetie Belle's father and mother.

“You're home!” Rarity stood up from the table to hug them. Sweetie Belle choked on her food.

“Are you okay darling?” Her mother asked, stepping inside.

Sweetie looked up, and her heart beat fast. Her throat started to constrict her like it always does when you cry.

“Mom?”

Holding back tears, Sweetie Belle ran at her mother, who outstretched her arms to catch her.

But with every stride she took, she was pulled back by some unknown force. Her vision was being stretched, and was going black. Her mother looked at her with worry.

“Mom!” Sweetie Belle yelled, trying with all her might to gain ground. Tears ran down her cheeks now, but were whisked away behind her like she was fighting a hurricane's wind.

As a last resort, she stopped running to reach out to grab her mother's hand, hoping she could save her from the oblivion looming behind that was trying to swallow her.

Their fingers were a quarter of an inch apart, but Sweetie was pulled back, denied the embrace she longed for with her entire existence.

“MOM!” Was her last strangled cry as everything went black, and she was pulled away into oblivion.

~~~

Sweetie Belle bolted upright in her bed, reaching out to grab an imaginary mother's hand. She was awake, it was all a dream. She panted hard, beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.

Rarity looked up from a chair in the corner of the room. She had fallen asleep after they had talked and cried with each other, and Rarity had sat in the corner of the room, watching over her.

“Are you okay Sweetie? Bad dreams?”

Sweetie Belle rubbed her eyes, looking around herself in a daze.

“No, no no no! Where did mom go?”

“I'm right here, Sweetie.”

“No!” She practically yelled. “My real mom! Not you, not you!”

“But I am-” Rarity stood from the chair.

Sweetie Belle pulled her covers over herself, trying to shut it all out and return to her dream.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Rarity asked, lightly tugging at the blankets.

“No, just go. Please just go and leave me alone.” Was the muffled reply.

Rarity stood awkwardly by the bed for a second, then turned to leave the room, shutting the door behind her.

Sweetie Belle started to cry, trying as hard as she could to sleep and be reunited with her dead mother. It didn't matter what Rarity said, her parents would always be Cookie Crumbles, and Hondo Flanks. Not her sister and some guy named Silver Belles.

She was finally able to sleep, albeit a dreamless, and restless slumber. She awoke on a Monday morning, and the sky was as gray as she had seen so far in this late fall. There was no smell of pancakes in the air, and Rarity was nowhere to be seen.

Before Sweetie Belle dressed and left for school, she quickly jotted down the remnants of her dream in her diary. She hoped to read it later that night, and maybe her mind would continue the dream.

Well, there was a long day ahead, and the only thing she looked forward to was the end of the day, when she could rest for what little moments her mind allowed her.

The dream had given her a moment of peace, and hope. But as it faded, it only left her feeling more empty than before. What had she done to deserve such an evil thing...

~~~

Telling her

The bell rang for the end of the school day. It had felt like another eternity, like any normal school day should. Sweetie Belle felt like the whole day had been a distraction from what she was dying to do; tell Apple Bloom about everything she had learned last night.

When the bell finally rang for the end of the day, Sweetie Belle caught up to Apple Bloom as they filed out of the classroom. Scootaloo was trying to slip past the crowd without being seen, but Sweetie found her and tapped her on the shoulder. The small wings on her back ruffled in surprise as she turned to face her friend. She was incredibly pale for her skin color, her hair was matted, and her eyes were bloodshot and wide. She was under the influence of something, Sweetie knew it.

“Hey, Apple Bloom and I were thinking about hittin' the clubhouse, want to come?”

Scootaloo grimaced, and she brought a hand up to rub the back of her neck. Her eyes darted from place to place, probably thinking of an excuse.

“I don't know, Sweets. I got this thing back at the house, I don't have time. Sorry.”

This was what, the umpteenth time Scootaloo had some “thing” going on? How long would it be before they spent time together as a group again?

“Okay, that's fine. See you tomorrow then.”

After a quick salute from her shaky hand, Scootaloo quite literally disappeared into the rush of people fighting to leave the building as soon as they could.

“Do ya ever feel like she's avoidin' us?” Apple Bloom asked suspiciously. Sweetie Belle shrugged. Of course she did, but it wasn't too big of a deal. They'd seen each other so little for such a long time that Sweetie Belle didn't care if she knew about Rarity being her mom or not.

~~~

After a short walk, and some small talk, they reached the Apple's farm. They neared the clubhouse, and Sweetie Belle noticed how old it was starting to look due to being neglected for the past year or two.

The place looked about as bad as when they first laid eyes on it, so many years ago, when Apple Jack had shown it to them and said it used to be her own tree house. The paint was peeling, and something about the wood didn't look right. There were cobwebs strung about the roof and windows, and the shutters looked like they were ready to fall off ages ago.

Why had they abandoned it so? The reason slipped Sweetie Belle's mind at the moment, but she assumed it was probably something like being too old to play in a tree house. But damn, looking back, this place was so cool. It was stupid to ever forget about it.

With careful steps, they climbed the creaky staircase leading to the door of the tree house. The door felt jammed, and the hinges looked almost entirely eaten away by rust. Bloom tried to open the door, and after a bit of struggling finally managed to open it up. Light filtered in through the doorway, and you could see how thick the air was with dust inside.

“Gosh, it's been a while since we've been up here, hasn' it?” Apple Bloom remarked. Sweetie nodded as past memories came back to her. Endless happy times that they'd been together, most of the time in this now decrepit tree house. Everything seemed smaller than they remembered, and the ceiling hung lower than what was comfortable. It made Sweetie Belle kind of sad, and only reminded her of how much they'd grown together.

Apple Bloom threw her backpack in a corner, and opened up the faded drapes for the windows, letting in some much needed light. There, now it wasn't as creepy and sad.

“Okay, so I have the craziest thing to tell you.” Sweetie Belle said as she plopped down on the floor, assuming the chairs in the room were too small and fragile to be sat on.

“Shoot. Ah'll listen.” Bloom moved to the center of the room where a single lantern hung from the ceiling. After fiddling with it, and finding that it was useless trying to light it, she sat down across from Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie pulled a sketchbook and a few pencils out of her backpack.

“Do you mind if I sketch you while we talk? I've been wondering if having a model will help me improve.”

“Sure. Do ya care how Ah sit?”

“However you want, so long as you sit still.” Sweetie laughed, flipping the book open to a new page, careful not to let Apple Bloom see what other drawings were inside the book.

There was the scratching of a pencil on paper, and the soft hum of Sweetie Belle as she worked.

“What is it you wanted to tell me? Ya can't leave me hangin'.”

Sweetie sighed, preparing to explain such a sensitive subject.

“Last night, I found out some stuff from Rarity.”

“Ya mean like the poster?”

“Yeah. Turns out you were right, it was all a lie to protect me.” Sweetie Belle erased some sketched lines.

“So? Family's like that. They jus' want the best for ya.”

Sweetie Belle sketched a little bit more before continuing, glad she had an excuse to give her some time to think before talking about such a confusing subject.

“Rarity told me she was lying about something else, too.”

“An' what's that?”

There was a knot in her throat as Sweetie Belle tried to speak.

“She said my mom wasn't gone.”

This definitely caught Apple Bloom off guard. She looked about as confused as Sweetie felt.

“Whaddya mean?”

There was a moment's pause as Sweetie Belle outlined her work.

“Well...Rarity said she was my real mom.”

“What?! That ain't possible!” The look on her face was one of pure shock.

So, Sweetie Belle explained how it was possible, and Bloom got up to pace the room, forgetting her role as Sweetie's model. It didn't matter though, she already had a defined outline, she just needed to add some shading and further define the clothes. A yellow button-up flannel shirt with rolled-up sleeves, skinny jeans tucked into her tall leather boots, and of course the cute pink bow in the back of her hair.

She continued adding detail and ruffles to the shirt, and Apple Bloom continued to talk and pace.

She finally had to stop when she started going into how she felt about it all. Tears were spilling down her face, and she had to be careful not to let them fall on her sketchbook. Her hand was shaking, and she was barely able to hold the pencil, much less use it.

“I don't know, it just feels like my dad and mom and my sister gone, and my real mom is a total stranger. It's just so weird and confusing, I-”

She resorted to sobbing, but tried her best to refrain from completely breaking down. She closed her sketchbook after shakily signing her signature; an S and a B, with a little heart next to it. She always put a little heart in the corner of every drawing she ever made of her crush.

Apple Bloom stopped pacing to look at Sweetie Belle, sitting on the ground with her knees brought up to her face. She shook slightly with her sobbing, but she tried to keep quiet.

“Hey,” Apple Bloom knelt next to her, rubbing her shoulder. “Ya don't have to be so upset. You're goin' to be fine.”

Sweetie looked up with red eyes, into the face of the only person that was able to comfort her. Such a sight brought so much pity and sorrow into Bloom's heart, it was overwhelming. It was like watching a young child cry.

Apple Bloom sat next to her in the corner of the room, and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. Sweetie Belle accepted this and hugged her back, wetting her shoulder with her tears. A fresh onslaught of sobs arose, but Apple Bloom held her in a comforting embrace until it was all over, softly whispering happy things into her ear.

After something like thirty minutes, Sweetie Belle was quiet, and had unwrapped herself from the hug to instead lean against Apple Bloom, who did the same. Bloom's arm was still around Sweetie's shoulder, and Sweetie Belle rested her head on her friends shoulder.

“Are ya feelin' a bit better, Ah hope?” Apple Bloom asked softly. Sweetie nodded, and put an arm around Apple Bloom's lower back.

“Thanks. For understanding, and listening.” She mumbled. “I'm sorry for crying so much, I feel ridiculous.”

“Don't be. Everybody just needs ta cry every now an' then. You've been holding in so much for so long, Ah'm surprised you didn' let all of this out sooner.”

They sat in silence for a while, each thinking about the situation, and things. Now that Sweetie Belle was done thinking about her sister and her family, she realized just how close her body was pressed against Apple Bloom's. Her stomach flipped, and she blushed so hard, she wouldn't be surprised if Apple Bloom felt the heat radiating off of her face.

Taking advantage of the situation, she pressed herself against Apple Bloom even more, wrapping her arm around her tighter. Apple Bloom rubbed Sweetie's shoulder, sending a tingle down her spine. She felt safe, and secure. It had been a long time since she felt so warm, and so content.

She got to thinking, maybe now was the time to say something. To tell her. She would understand, they'd been together so much for so long. She would always understand, and she would always be there for her, no matter what.

Now was the time, the time to be happy. She could forget about everything else, and take comfort in her new girlfriend. Just the thought of the word made her feel like her stomach had turned itself inside out, and her heart had exploded like a firework. Yes, this was it. There would never be a moment as perfect as this. And she had already said so much she was afraid to say, it wouldn't hurt to say just a few sentences more.

“Apple Bloom, I have to tell you one more thing. Something I've been thinking about since I was like, fourteen.”

Bloom nodded. She couldn't possibly be surprised any more today. But that's where she was wrong.

“You've always been there for me, and you've always made me feel better.” She didn't even need to fight the words to come out, they flowed easily.

“And I've been feeling a bit different around you for a while. I-” Sweetie Belle decided to get to the point. All the words that came before would never mean as much as what she planned to say next.

“I-”

But the word that came next was the hardest to say. It was infamous for how hard it was to get out of your mouth, if you meant it.

Hate was always easy to say, maybe one of the easiest words to pronounce. But the word love, now that was hard. You could struggle for years, maybe even your whole life, just trying to pronounce a single word. If you were talking to a family member, it was easier. Loving each other was a given, and it would never be questioned. But to a friend...

“Are... you alright Sweetie?” Apple Bloom turned to look her in the eyes. She noticed a lock of hair hung over Sweetie's eyes, and brushed it off of her forehead and tucked it behind her ear, her hand resting for only a moment on her cheek. It was just a meaningless, friendly motion, something she didn't think was personal. But to Sweetie Belle, it meant so much more. The way Apple Bloom had said her name brought a heat to her chest, and her touch on her cheek made her break out in goosebumps.

“Y-yeah, I'm fine.”

Bloom smiled, and turned to look at the wall opposite of them. There was a portrait hanging there, showing a picture of the two best friends, but younger. Maybe taken a year or two in the past. Giant smiles split their faces, and strawberry ice cream cones melted in their hands. The pink tint of strawberry ice cream brought a memory to the front of Sweetie Belle's mind. Their second Gala, a year back.

They had spent most of the night together, because Scootaloo stuck around Rainbow Dash and the other Wonderbolts.

The night involved ice cream, dancing, laughing, and overall a lot of fun. It was probably the first time in fact, that Sweetie Belle had started to like Apple Bloom more than a friend. They danced, or at least tried. Apple Bloom didn't know how to waltz, so Sweetie taught her. People stared when they fell over each other and laughed, but with no parents or siblings to scold them, they hadn't a care in the world. The memory was a cherished one, and it made Sweetie Belle smile when no one was around.

Apple Bloom stared at the portrait as well, maybe thinking of the same time.

“What were ya trying to say?” Bloom asked, bringing herself back to the present. Sweetie hadn't forgotten the words she struggled with speaking, but seeing the picture brought a confidence to her soul.

They had been together so long, had so much fun together. And now, she wanted just a little bit more. A bit of love, so to speak.

“Yeah. I was gonna say we've been together a long time.”

Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.

“And I-...I've started to feel... different lately. A-about you.” Sweetie Belle cleared her throat nervously. Alright, enough with the procrastination. It was time to tell her, and the longer she talked without a point, the weirder and harder it would get.

Her gaze wandered to her bag, a sketchbook rested on top. She thought of the countless drawings in there, most of which were of her crush. It almost aggravated her as she wondered why she hadn't said anything sooner.

Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke. “I-... I love you, Apple Bloom.”

Their heads were still close, and Sweetie Belle only needed to slightly turn her head to plant a kiss on Apple Bloom's cheek. Softly, but with a strong passion. Her face burned as she acted on an impulse. She was in the moment, and didn't particularly think of the outcome or consequences.

Apple Bloom froze, and Sweetie Belle could actually feel her tense up. A heat radiated from her face as she stared straight ahead, a shocked expression frozen on her face.

Apple Bloom cleared her throat and shifted her position, now uncomfortable with how close her best friend was.

“Are you-... okay?” Sweetie asked, concern and dread heavy in her voice as she regretted what she had done. Apple Bloom's face turned red, and she stood, unwrapping herself from the embrace. She hit her head on the ceiling being a few inches taller than her friend, but didn't seem to notice.

“Ah-... Ah don't know, maybe- maybe Ah should g-go.” She stuttered. Sweetie Belle stood as well, dread creeping into her heart.

“Please don't, I-I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry!”

Apple Bloom brought a hand up to her cheek, touching the spot that her best friend had kissed. “Did you-?”

Sweetie wiped something from her eye and nodded. Her tears were exhausted, but somehow her eyes stung. It was all a mistake, and she had perhaps ruined the thing she treasured most in her life.

Apple Bloom's mind raced, and her face turned an even deeper red. “Ah don't know how t-to feel, Ah mean, y-you've always-... we've always been together an' all, but Ah-...Ah've never thought about you like that... Ah mean, m-maybe Ah could, it just-... Ah need some time ta think about it, th-this is all so sudden-...”

There was a call in the distance for Apple Bloom's name. It had been close to an hour, and her family were no doubt worried about her. Apple Bloom cursed, something Sweetie hadn't heard her do before. Normally it was Scootaloo, the rebel and delinquent of the group.

“Ah have ta go, w-we should talk 'bout this later, or somethin'...” Apple Bloom reached for her backpack in the corner of the room and tossed it over her shoulder.

Sweetie Belle tried to say something but her throat caught, and she was speechless.

“Y-you-... l-love me?” Bloom was unable to believe the words. Her cheeks turned red again and her heart beat fast.

Before she could get a response, her name was called again, closer this time.

“Dammit... Ah,-” She pointed to the door, her eyes apologetic.

Sweetie Belle looked up from the floor and met her eyes. Both of them understood what the other was feeling.

“See ya.” Sweetie managed to mumble.

Apple Bloom started to say something else, but thought better of it.

“Yeah. Bye.”

She turned and jumped off of the tree house's balcony, landing soundlessly below.

Sweetie Belle picked up her own backpack, and her sketchbook, opening it up to the page that she had been drawing. It was finished, and it was sure as hell better than any of her previous drawings. But looking at it only brought a feeling of sorrow to her heart. She felt like throwing up, and her world spun.

But it wasn't over, Apple Bloom just needed to think about it. And if she didn't want to be a couple, they'd still be best friends, no matter what. Right?”

Wrong.

The future had a cruel plan laid out, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

~~~

Author's Note

*sigh* okay here goes.
I wrote and rewrote this chapter what, 4 times? And I had writer's block almost every time. It still doesn't feel right, but I guess, "Hey, I tried my best, and it's better to show it than nothing at all."
Sorry it took so long, but this thing just baffled me and my proofreader. I'm releasing it anyways, just to keep things moving so I don't give up on this idea entirely.
If you know why this chapter doesn't feel right, or how to improve it, or even if you just want to say that for any insane reason this was the best chapter so far, please please please comment and share your thoughts. Thanks!
On the good side, I'm past this thing, and I'll be releasing more often, so long as my Christmas schedule doesn't prolong it.
Thanks again to all of you who Favorited and/or tracked this piece of trash x3, and an even bigger thank you to those who watched me!
Until we read again, -Zephyr

Sitting in a tree

Author's Note

I'm so happy with this chapter, and I think it's a lot better than my last one! Hope you like it :3
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, by the way. I'm a bit late, but whatever

Sitting in a tree

The door opened to the boutique. Sweetie Belle stood in the doorway, hands tucked into her sides. She couldn't feel her fingertips, and she sniffed every few seconds from the cold. On her walk home, the clouds had taken over the sky, and a bitter wind had picked up.

“Oh thank goodness! Sweetie Belle, where have you been?!” Rarity came running from the kitchen to greet her daughter. She reached a hand out and touched Sweetie Belle's arm, sending pain signals to her brain. Her touch felt like a burning iron, and whether it was just in her mind, or if she was just cold, Sweetie Belle didn't know.

She smacked the hand away and shot her mother a glare. “Like you would care. Like you've ever cared!”

She slammed the front door and stomped away and up the stairs to her room, leaving her mother in a state of paralysis.

“Are you okay, darling? Is something wrong?”

Her only response was the slam of a door, no doubt Sweetie's bedroom. The last thing she wanted was to talk with her mother, no matter how many promises Rarity made to be there for her, or right her past wrongs.

Sweetie flung herself onto her bed in the corner of the room, and untied the drapes so that they fell over the window, obscuring all light.

She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. There was no pain or anger inside her, only fear. Anxiety and nervousness tied her stomach into knots.

She remembered her bag she had thrown on the floor next to the bed. She reached inside and pulled out her sketchbook and diary. Part of her wanted to write what happened in her diary, but the other half screamed no. She could write in it later, if she wanted. Right now, she only wanted to chuck the thing out the window.

Sweetie set the diary on her nightstand and instead stared at the sketchbook in her hands. She opened it again to the picture she had drawn earlier that day, and gazed at the scene. Apple Bloom looked as cute as ever, and her smile, though drawn, still held the trait to melt Sweetie's heart. Sighing, she held it close to her chest and closed her eyes. She was exhausted, and she only needed a moment to think about things. About Apple Bloom.

She fell asleep, and a few minutes later, couldn't hear the knock at her door. Rarity hesitantly opened it and stepped inside. Noticing her sleeping child, Rarity stepped closer to the bed, quietly. With the help of a little bit of magic, she re-positioned her in a more comfortable manner, and drew a blanket over her, tucking it in. She gently took the sketchbook out of her hands and set it on the nightstand, leaving it open.

Sweetie Belle whimpered in her sleep and clutched her pillow, and Rarity sat down next to her. She stroked the forehead of her daughter, brushing the hair away from her eyes.

“I'm sorry... Love you, darling.” She leaned over and kissed her forehead in a motherly fashion, and stood up to leave. Halfway to the door, she remembered the sketchbook she had left open on the nightstand.

Wouldn't want to ruin the binding.

Rarity picked it up to close it, and happened to notice the drawing.

Wow, this really is amazing! She really has grown. A shame I wasn't there to see.

She bit her lip, and flipped through the pages of the book, hoping to catch a glimpse of how her daughter had improved since the Christmas before last, almost two years ago. She noticed however, that most of her drawings were of Apple Bloom. There were a few others, here and there, of other things and people. One was Scootaloo's wings, a few were of birds, and a few even showed her school. But most of the pictures were of Apple Bloom, and... Rarity's parents. There were a few details that were off, but Rarity easily recognized them. She fought back a tear, and almost shut the book. But it opened itself up to a page with a picture of Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom smiled in a mischievous way, and a bit of mistletoe hung from the ceiling, over her head.

Rarity frowned in confusion at the sketch, and looked at the corner of the page. It was dated last Christmas, and her daughters signature confirmed she was the artist behind it.

What? What does this-...

A little heart next to the signature confirmed Rarity's suspicions.

I-... I See.

Rarity closed the book quietly and set it on the nightstand. Turning, she walked to the door, then, before shutting it, looked back.

Sweetie... You really are growing up. I know I wasn't there for you before, but I hope-... I hope I can be there now.

She smiled at the girl laying in the bed. Sweetie Belle was curled up on her side, and for once looked like she was at peace. She wasn't scowling, crying, or yelling like usual.

It reminded Rarity of the girl she used to know. Sweet, innocent, and happy. The girl that only wanted to make her sister happy. But she had lost that girl. Every time they argued, yelled, and fought, that girl grew more and more distant.

It's my fault. It's all my fault. I have to find a way to make her happy again. Or at least give her the peace and rest she needs so desperately. But at least, Twilight has helped me with that so far. She should be happier soon. Thank you, Twilight.

Rarity left the room, shutting the door behind her.

~~~

Sweetie Belle stood alone in the streets of Ponyville. The sky was blue and cloudless, and there was a warm, gentle breeze flowing about. The air was thick with the aroma of flowers, and the colors of the town seemed to be far more saturated than normal. It all looked vibrant and lively, yet nobody was around.

She started to walk, her footsteps muted. There was some kind of music in the background, guitar, or piano. Or maybe a violin? Harp? It didn't matter.

The shops seemed to be closed, but instead of “closed” signs, they were all signs with big arrows on them, pointing to the distance.

Following them, Sweetie found herself at the gate of the Apple's farm. A smile started to form in her lips, and she let herself into the farm.

Winona ran to greet her. She pet the cute dog, stroking her long fur.

“You wouldn't know where Apple Bloom might be, would you?”

The dog stared at her eyes for a second before barking and taking off in a sprint.

With a laugh, Sweetie chased after the enthusiastic dog, her skirt bellowing behind her.

Winona led her to a grassy hill in one of the orchards, and stopped. Sweetie finally caught up, panting for breath. The area seemed to be void of people though, Apple Bloom was nowhere in sight.

Winona barked up at a tree, and Sweetie looked up to find Apple Bloom sitting among the branches.

“Hey! What're you doin' here?” Bloom looked down at her. Sweetie smiled and waved. Bloom leaned down and grabbed her hand, pulling her up into the tree. She felt as light as a feather, and Apple Bloom didn't show any sign of of effort.

Once she was hoisted onto a branch and could support her own weight, Sweetie Belle stared at the ground, wondering how she had been lifted so high. Her wondering was interrupted when she remembered her acrophobia, and she clung to the trunk of the tree, unable to look down any longer. The ground seemed to fall farther downward every second. Or maybe the tree was getting taller.

“What's wrong? 'Fraid of heights?”

Sweetie nodded, and her face grew paler than usual. Apple Bloom chuckled softly.

“It ain't nothing to be 'fraid of, you won't fall.” Bloom wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

The tree grew and grew, and the entire town was visible now from above. The sun started to set, and it cast the last light of day onto the turning leaves of the tree, making purple and red light shine over the small village.

Sweetie relaxed and leaned against her friend's body for comfort.

The tree started to slow as it neared the clouds of the sky. When Sweetie could have sworn the sky was clear a second ago, there was now a giant white blanket above their heads.

They broke through the thick clouds, and a light mist settled on her skin. The tree stopped growing, and the clouds became the ground below. She knew the ground was far away, and clouds would do nothing to stop her plummet, but seeing something that looked solid set her mind at ease.

An overwhelming feeling of drowsiness and fatigue swept over her, and she found herself laying in Apple Bloom's lap, staring up into her eyes. The sun was gone, below the horizon, but Sweetie could still see the golden light in Bloom's eyes. She smiled down at her, and Sweetie smiled back. Her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, but she fought the feeling to sleep. Bloom stroked Sweetie's cheek, as if wiping away an imaginary tear.

The moon was high in the sky now, and the stars shone brightly, above the cloud floor. And to add to the beautiful effect, a few shooting stars shot through the air. Time seemed to mean nothing here, and it flew by when it pleased. The music in the background grew louder, but was still soft and smooth. Almost sad, but also happy.

Sweetie Belle looked up into Apple Bloom's face, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do. Bloom seemed to know as well. The stars sparkled in Sweetie's eyes.

“I love you...” Sweetie Belle whispered, her voice confident, but soft.

Apple Bloom smiled and leaned forward. Sweetie closed her eyes, knowing what would happen next.

Their noses touched. Their lips were an inch apart. She could feel how close she was, how warm her breath was, and how she smelled of sugar and cinnamon.

Half an inch. Sweetie reached up and held the back of Bloom's head, stroking her long hair. A quarter of an inch. Something inside Sweetie Belle screamed “Lean forward! Fast! Do it now!”, and something else whispered “It's okay. Savor the moment. Slowly...”.

Apple Bloom brushed a lock of Sweetie's hair behind her ear. They were so close to a kiss, and Sweetie Belle didn't register the cracking sounds she heard underneath her.

Before their lips touched, the tree branches dropped out from under her, and she could feel herself falling.

She screamed, and her last sight was Apple Bloom reaching out to catch her. Then the clouds overtook her vision, and all she could see was the darkness of the night. All she could hear were the muffled cries for her name and her own screaming. All she could feel was the stickiness of the mist around her, so cold it felt like she was falling through a pile of pins. The nightmare should've ended there, but it didn't.

She struggled to turn in mid-air, and she flailed about as if it would slow her rapid descent. She now faced the ground, growing neared and nearer with every passing second.

Adrenaline pulsed in her veins, and she felt like she couldn't breathe; an issue she didn't seem to have when she was nestled in the tree with Apple Bloom.

It looked like she was going to land on a street in town square, away from any foliage to soften her fall. It grew closer and closer, and she still screamed. Sweetie Belle probably should've closed her eyes for the impact, but couldn't find the strength or courage to.

So she screamed and watched as she hit the ground in slow motion, feet first. She could feel the snap of every bone as they hit the asphalt, one by one. Excruciating wasn't an appropriate word for the pain. Normal people would have blacked out or died instantly, but her brain denied her that relief.

She lay in a heap in the road, nobody around to rush to her aid. She couldn't see herself, but that was probably for the better. She couldn't see at all, in fact, nor speak or move. But she could still feel. Everything was black, and she was left to suffer in what was left of her body.

Sweetie finally found solace after what felt like hours. She started to go numb, and couldn't feel the horror of what had happened anymore. It was a dull throbbing pain, and felt more like a bad headache through her entire being.

That's when the nightmare started to end. Sweetie could feel her own body, in one piece. She struggled to pull her mind from the nightmare, but was finally successful. Everything was still black, but she managed to open her eyes, awaking into a new kind of nightmare. This one, inescapable.

~~~

Sweetie Belle's eyes snapped open, and she looked around in a crazed manner, everything blurry. She lay in a curled up heap on the ground, next to her bed. Her right leg was asleep, still on top of her mattress, leading to a lack of blood flow. Her left arm was under her, and felt like pins and needles. A blanket was wrapped around her in an uncomfortable way, and she could feel a lot of blood in her head.

I must have fallen out of bed.

Sitting up, she was almost unable to stand, and she grew incredibly light-headed. Still, she was grateful to be free from the pain of her nightmare, left only with a slight headache and temporary pain. Light streamed in around her drapes, and she was grateful to not have the full sun in her eyes.

Stretching, she walked to the door before turning to look at the mess she had left behind. She threw the blanket from the floor onto the bed, not caring if it was made or not at the moment. Her sketchbook lay on the ground, knocked off the nightstand when she fell.

Sweetie picked it up and remembered what had happened the day before. A knot started to form in her stomach and she set the book down on her nightstand.

It was Wednesday, but there wasn't any school due to a holiday, to Sweetie Belle's relief. Now she didn't have to sit awkwardly next to Apple Bloom during classes, unable to apologize for what had happened yesterday. Instead, she could go straight to the farm to talk with her.

Sweetie left her room and stepped down the stairs. There was a note from Rarity on the kitchen table.

“Darling, I have gone shopping. I will be back shortly! Love – Mom.”

Her fist clenched at these last words, and she crumpled the note, throwing it at the nearest wall. It bounced off harmlessly, and she made herself some cold cereal for breakfast.

She tried to dress, but realized all of her dress were dirty. So she opted for a pair of jeans and a purple T-shirt she found in her dirty clothes hamper. They didn't smell bad, so she decided to wear them.

She almost left the house before remembering something. She grabbed her diary and sketchbook, deciding on whether or not to take them along. Something told her to, in case she wanted to share some of it's contents with Apple Bloom. It wouldn't hurt, so she grabbed a bag and stuffed them in.

Sweetie Belle left the house, locking the door behind her, and began her walk to the farm. She was scared, but determined to ask Apple Bloom about her thoughts. After her dream, she wanted nothing else but to lay together in real life, and share a real kiss.

She shivered, and it wasn't because of the cold.

~~~

Breaking point

The slamming door, and the angry words still reverberated through her whole body, echoing in her brain.

What just happened?

Tears streaked down her cheeks, and she gripped the strap of her backpack, her fingers numb. Her stomach turned again, and she felt the urge to vomit. Though, through the pain and dizziness, she knew what she wanted to do most right now. Run. Just run. But she couldn't, there was nowhere to go. Sweetie stood within the fence around the Apple farm, and though the gate was open, she couldn't bring herself to leave. She had to turn back, she had to try again. Maybe there was a way to fix this.

She slipped the bag from her shoulder and let it drop to the ground, where it landed in the dirt. The zipper was undone, and a few books slipped out. Her diary, and her sketchbook. She fell to her knees, picking them up and flipping through the pages, doing anything to escape her mind. The soft paper felt brittle and rough in her fingers, but what bothered her more was the contents of the diary itself. She didn't even have to read the words, the pages were familiar enough to bring back memories and emotions from years ago, including a few lines that made Sweetie feel happy, or at least hopeful. Of course, the ones about Apple Bloom.

She flipped through the sketchbook, finding drawing after drawing of her crush. Over and over again. Her throat caught as she realized, it wasn't going to happen. After what Granny Smith had said, Sweetie would rarely even see Apple Bloom. Even as a friend.

Her hands caressed the pictures, but an anger pulled at her heart. Apple Bloom was the last person she cared about, and now they would barely remain friends.

A dull whisper pierced her mind like a dagger.

“Ah don' want you 'round Bloom without that Scootahoot with ya, ya hear?!”

With how absent from their lives Scootaloo was, they wouldn't get to see each other almost at all.

Her fist clenched, the tension building up and tightening the muscles in her entire arm. The corner of the page in her hands crumpled, and she looked at the most recent addition to the book. The drawing of Apple Bloom sitting in the clubhouse. The thing that was there at the start of all this.

Blood pounded in her head as she mentally screamed at herself for doing something so stupid, ruining it all in such a brief moment of ecstasy.

In a flash of pain, Sweetie Belle tore the page from the book. The ripping sound was crisp, and it felt perfect, sending tingles of satisfaction down her back. So she didn't stop. Page after page was torn from the binding, fluttering to the ground, until the book was empty. A spine and a pile of papers were all that was left of years of hard work.

Anger turned to guilt, then to gut-wrenching despair. Her hands stung; the sharp edges of the fine paper had cut deep into her hands during her frenzy. Her fingers dripped with blood, the crimson drops staining the pages.

But staring at the mess on the ground wasn't good enough, so she resumed tearing, this time at her diary. Page after page of meaningless words from the past flew from her hands. Garbage, trash, waste of time. Entries about how she felt, what she hoped for, and what had happened in the past few years. The emotion within the words felt dead to her now, as dead as the wood the words were written on.

Her pain stopped, and her hands halted when she reached the few dozen blank pages at the back of the diary. As much as she hated the thing, it was still apart of her. A gift from her parents.

So she left the last few pages within the binding, and held it close to her heart, weeping. How could she have ruined everything?

Sweetie picked up the sketches and diary entries from the dirt, holding them in her bloodied hands.

She couldn't sit still, she had to go. She had to run from it all, hopefully waking up in her bed. She hoped with her entire soul this was all was just another sick nightmare.

Sweetie got to her feet, turning to leave. Though, she tripped over a wicker basket. The chicken coops were nearby, so the basket must have been for collecting eggs.

An idea came to her, and she picked up the basket, stuffing it with her paper, even throwing the sketchbook binding in with it all. But the diary, with the few dozen pages it had left, she threw in her bag.

Sweetie Belle walked back to the Apple's house, and knelt at the door, placing the basket at the doorstep. Maybe Apple Bloom would find it, and know just how much Sweetie loved her. Just maybe.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and she left the farm, picking up her backpack on the way out. Walking in the streets, a few tears still fell from her cheeks as she thought about the past year.

She thought about her parents, and her pace quickened.

She thought about her sister- no, her real mother. Her walk turned to a jog.

She thought about her nightmares, and a burst of adrenaline pounded in her veins.

She thought about Apple Bloom, about Granny Smith. She broke into a run, the almost empty bag slung over her shoulder, her hair trailing behind her.

Where she was running, Sweetie didn't know. Just away, as far away as she could get. Anywhere but here. Here there was hurt. Pain after pain had pushed her to do this, and she had broken. Every inch she put between herself, the Boutique, and the Apple Farm made her feel free, liberated her. The intense burning in her chest and legs was enough to make her want to quit, but she needed to get further. So Sweetie ran and ran for what felt like hours until she neared the edge of the town.

A whistle blew, startling her. She was near the train station, and few of the steam engines were being boarded at this very moment.

Away, those trains are going away from here. An escape.

She skidded to a halt at a ticket stand, panting for breath, her muscles aching. Her sides felt like they had been torn at the seams, and her gut was ready to wretch. In fact, that's just what she ended up doing. Something tickled her throat, and she coughed until she triggered a gag reflex, vomiting everything out on the train station's deck.

“Dear Celestia, are you alright?!” The man at the stand asked in a thick accent which she didn't quite recognize.

Shit, I don't have any money. Wait...

Sweetie Belle dug into her pockets with her hands, and to her surprise found an assortment of coins and bills, -change from when she'd been out with the other crusaders, or something- along with a folded poster.

“I- I need a ticket for that train... Please.” Sweetie slammed the money on the counter, disregarding his question.

The man was slightly taken aback, his concerned attitude appropriate for the situation. Approached by a young girl that seems to have run all the way from AppleLoosa, who promptly vomits all over ground before desperately demanding a ticket to who-knows-where.

“Now hold on for one second, Ma'am, is something wrong?”

“What? No, I just-...” Though, she couldn't think of a reasonable excuse for such circumstances. “Just take the money!”

“You're hands are coated in blood.”

The train whistled again, last chance to board before departure.

“I cut myself pretty bad, and I'm late for my train, I had to run all the way here!”

Something questionable was going on here, the man knew it, but she pushed the money at him again, insisting that he give her a ticket.

“How old are you? Where are your parents, young lady?”

“Sixteen! Just take the money, as a tip! Take it all!”

He mumbled under his breath, eyeing the coins and bills. It wasn't against the law to let a sixteen-year-old travel alone, and it wasn't his place to question her appearance. So, after what felt like a million years, he nodded.

“Where to, Ma'am?”

Anywhere, fucking anywhere I can think through all of this.

Sweetie tried to massage the headache that pulsed in her skull.

“Where is that train going, that one leaving?” She pointed to the departing steam engine.

“Manehatten, Ma'am. I assume that would be the train you are late for, hmm?” He didn't even look up as he pocketed the money.

She unfolded the poster that had been resting in her hand, already knowing just what it was. The very same poster she had noticed a few days ago, still sporting a picture of her parent's faces, with big bolded letters at the bottom, MANEHATTEN.

“Yes, that's my train. Thank you for your help-”

Her gratitude was cut short when she noticed the train wheels starting to spin, the engines letting out a monstrous groan and an ear-piercing whistle. She started to chase after the slow-moving engine before the ticket master called to her.

“Almost forgot your ticket. Now, be careful out there, I hear Manehatten is going through some tough business. Most of the people on that train are soldiers.” His voice was almost drowned out entirely by the hard-working engine of the steam engine, but she heard enough. Three words in his sentence clicked in her brain; Manehatten, business, and soldiers.

It reminded her all too well of her parents. They must have left knowing they would probably never come back, but they still left, still fought. They fought, knowing their purpose, and what they would die for. And now, a purpose Sweetie had been searching for in the past few years became clear. What she would die for.

She yanked the ticket out of his hand, and only nodded to him before once again running after the train as it made quick work of the rails, nearing the end of the train deck.

She jumped and managed to grab a bar near one of the train's doors, pulling herself into the train, and waving to the ticket master as the steam engine gained speed, and the station vanished.

Goodbye, home sweet home, how bitter our time together was.

~~~

Sweetie opened the door, stepping inside. It wasn't exactly a luxury train, pretty bland, and for the most part, old. Rarity would hate it. Sweetie smiled.

Perfect.

After being approached by a stewardess, she showed her ticket, and was allowed into a room. Manehatten wasn't exactly close, so the ride would be overnight. Luckily, the chairs would be transformed into mattresses while everybody was at dinner.

The room was cramped, but it would do. She didn't need anything special.

She entered the room, sitting on the nearest chair, throwing her bag into a corner. She was exhausted, completely empty, and stuck on a train headed towards a war-torn city without so much as a bag of luggage full of clothes, or just a little bit of money. But it didn't matter, she didn't need any of those things in a barracks, they would be supplied readily.

The one thing she needed at the moment though was some sleep. So Sweetie brought her knees against her eyes and hugged them, leaning into a corner, the rocking of the train lulling her into a disturbed sleep, plagued with nightmarish images and thoughts.

She was lost in the city, everything dark and twisted into a gigantic version of the Boutique. She was being chased by something, or someone, and it would catch up to her at any moment. But the wind blew hard, and the strain on her muscles was painful, making any distance impossible to travel. So she fell, and resorted to crawling, still pursued by the creature, it's shadow looming over her, blocking out the light from the moon. Finally building up enough courage to look back at it, she immediately recognized the terrifying monster. A large winged man, with lion paws for hands, and a beak for a mouth. His pupils were narrowed to slits, like a wild animal, and his bloody beak was open to attack her.

A griffon. A human abomination, a monster.

But it was only a dream, it couldn't eat her. Wait... It was only a dream...

“Luna! Princess Luna, help!-”

It lunged, scratching at her with his claws, and snapping his beak at her neck.

“HELP ME! PLEASE!”

The beast tore and raked at her with his claws, but still, the princess of dreams was nowhere to be seen. No help came.

Rarity stood on the sidewalk, watching the scene with a blank face, like a robot. But she did nothing. Apple Bloom stood at her side, like a statue, ignoring Sweetie Belles screams for help.

A gunshot sounded, and the griffon froze. Then it crumpled, blood spilling onto her clothes. Somebody grabbed her arm and pulled Sweetie to her feet. It was her mother, dressed in military armor, holding a gun in her free hand. Her father was standing nearby, surveying the area, checking for more griffons.

“Take this!” She commanded, shoving a rifle into Sweetie's hands, which seemed to materialize out of thin air. Her wounds started to seal themselves, and the blood on her clothes evaporated.

“Wait, this is dream. I can stop this!” Sweetie exclaimed.

If I can will the dream to end...

Nothing happened for a moment, until a feral shriek was heard in the distance. The sound of a hoard.

Why won't it work?!

“They're coming! Get to cover!”

Her father started shooting, and the sounds of war commenced. There must have been dozens of the monsters, flying in from all directions. So in an effort, Sweetie shot her gun, and the kickback knocked her down. The bullets seemed to only anger the griffons, and they dove through the air like a hunting hawk.

Rarity and Apple Bloom screamed in pain, and they started to morph into griffons, giant wings sprouting from their backs. Then, they too flew towards Sweetie Belle, shrieking.

So she fired the gun, but it was useless, and she soon ran out of ammunition. Turning to her parents for help, Sweetie found that they too had morphed into beasts. So she did the one thing every human would. She threw the useless rifle at the group and ran. But the wind picked up again, and she couldn't move.

“NOOO!!!” She screamed as they tackled her and started attacking her body, the hoard of monsters pulling her to pieces. She was helpless, only able to scream and pray for it all to end, curling into a fetal position.

~~~

Author's Note

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, things have been so hectic. I started on a bunch of other stories and never exactly finished any of them, to start with. And I also joined in on a big project that's due in two months, which I've yet to put a single word into. Not to mention that I'm practically drowning in unfinished schoolwork. So yeah, I'm pretty screwed.

Anyway, this chapter is one of the most semi-decent things I've been working on, so yeah, I hope it's good.
Also, my normal Proofreader ShadoHawk is feeling slightly under the weather, so be like Rainbow Dash and poke a hole in those dark clouds to say hi and maybe cheer him up. It would mean a lot, to both him and me.
Thanks!