Orchard of Broken Memories

Chapters

Bloom out of Class
Absent Pony
Hidden Tears
Deep Explanation
The Sibling Answer
Amending Friendships

Bloom out of Class

At the start of the school day, Sweetie Belle entered the classroom eager to meet her friends. To her surprise, neither Scootaloo nore Applebloom were there. Hmm, that’s strange, she wondered, I know Scootaloo usually shows up a few minutes later than me, but Applebloom always arrive earlier than me. I wonder what happened to her. Scootaloo lives much further from the school than any of the CMCs, but Sweetie Belle and Applebloom live only 5-10 minutes walking distance. The only problem Sweetie Belle could currently think of was that Applebloom had been caught up in her chores at the farm.

Just then, a breathless Scootaloo burst through the doors. “I’m… (panting) here… (panting) Sorry I’m… (panting) late…”

“Actually, class hasn’t even started yet.” replied Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo looked up and around. “Really? Phew, I thought I was running late. But I guess today was one of my lucky days.” Scootaloo, breathing heavily, noticed the worry written on Sweetie Belle’s face. “Uh, Sweetie Belle, are you alright? You seem to be… distracted.”

“Apple Bloom’s not here right now,” Sweetie replied, “and that’s strange because out of the three of us, she’s usually here first. Do you happen to see her on your way to school earlier today?”

Scootaloo rubbed her chin in thought. “Now that you mentioned it, I didn’t see her on my way here today.” Suddenly, her eyes widened “I just hope she hasn’t… I don’t know, wandered into Zecora’s house and picked up some strange illness. Remember when she got that Cutie Pox disease?” Scootaloo giggled despite shivering at the disturbing memory, “So creepy, even Discord probably would have freaked out if he had been there.”

Sweetie Belle cringed in retort. “You know, you really didn’t have to bring that up Scoot You know I had some nasty nightmares after that incident, and you of everypony should understand my pain since your little nightmare experience from Rainbow Dash’s campfire stories.” Scootaloo herself cringed while Sweetie Belle continued. “Plus, cutie pox disease or not, I don’t think she’s sick. It normally takes time for an illness to reach its’ full peak. We both saw Applebloom yesterday during tutoring sessions at Twilight’s school, and if I remember correctly she seemed okay.”

Scootaloo thought for a second. “Yeah, you do have a point on that. But I just can’t think of any other reason why she wouldn’t be here. Maybe she got caught up with chores at the farm?”

“I doubt it”, replied Sweetie Belle. “Applejack takes school very seriously, and even though she’s busy teaching at Twilight’s School of Friendship these days, I bet you she wouldn’t want her sister missing school due to farm chores; especially because Apple Bloom’s cutie mark doesn’t specialize primarily in farming like the cutie marks of her siblings do”.

The school bell rang, signaling class.

“Let’s wait until recess; maybe the idea will come to us then”, continued Sweetie Belle.

However, as the class droned on, neither filly realized that the other was equally worried about something more serious having happened to their friend.

______________________________________________________________________________

After a long learning period, it was finally time for recess. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo rushed outside, scanning the playground for any sight of their friend. “Okay, I know Applebloom usually asks this question, so, what should we do to find out where Apple Bloom is?” Scootaloo asks.

“We could always ask Ms. Cheerilee. She always know where students are when they aren’t at school”, answered Sweetie Belle.

“Do you really think so?”, Scootaloo replied. “She doesn’t know everything all the time; it’s not like she’s some weird wizard like that old beardo and those other ponies Twilight brought back from some standstill time trap a couple years back.”

Sweetie Belle frowned in disapproval. “Uh, his name is Starswirl, and those other five are the Pillars of Old Equestria. Also, why shouldn’t we ask Ms. Cheerilee? I mean, is in charge of the attendance.”

Scootaloo shrugged dismissively. “I dunno; I’ve tried asking Cheerilee many things that I needed to get, but it just… never seems to go over so well, you know?”

Sweetie Belle didn’t bother asking further about Scootaloo’s unknown incidents; there were a lot of things she tended to keep secret from her friends, after all. “Well, do you have a better idea than this?”

Scootaloo thought for a moment. “Actually, I do have a better idea; why don’t we try asking the other classmates and see if they’ve seen Applebloom anywhere? Maybe she’s going undercover, or she could be sneaking out of school with that coltfriend dancer we’ve met back at the dance studio the other day-”

“Okay Scoot; that’s enough,” Sweetie Belle suddenly interrupted by shoving a hoof into Scootaloo’s mouth. “I don’t really think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” Ask Scootaloo.

“I can think of a few reasons not to. Like with the ‘Applebloom undercover’ idea: If she was undercover, how will anypony even know it was her?”

Scootaloo’s ears sank in realization. “Oh…”

Sweetie Belle continued: “Plus, that idea with the coltfriend and apple pie care package with Big Mac and Sugar Belle recently...” Sweetie Belle shivered, “ugh, I just don’t want to go through that again.”

“Oh come on, Sweetie Belle,” pleaded Scootaloo, “what could possibly go wrong?”

“EVERYTHING!!!” Sweetie Belle screamed loudly before dropping her head on the table. “Grrrrrrgh…”

“Seriously, Sweetie Belle, just chill. It’s not like that’s gonna happen again.”

“How do you know?”, asked Sweetie Belle, her voice muffled.

“Well…” Scootaloo thought with uncertainty. “How about I won’t let it happen again, okay? You can count on me!”

“Well…” Sweetie Belle thought for a moment. “Okay then; let’s go with your plan. If it doesn’t work, I’m still sticking along with mine later.”

“Alright, let’s break!” Scootaloo said.

Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo separated into different directions, hoping to cover more ground. Scootaloo went over to the playground where Rumble was resting. “Excuse me Rumble, have you seen Apple Bloom?”

Rumble turned around. “Sorry, nope, haven’t seen her. Why don’t you try asking that dance pony; I think his name is Tender Taps. I’ve heard that Apple Bloom hangs out with him sometimes.”

“Okay, thanks!” Said Scootaloo and murmurs to herself, “See what I mean, Sweetie?”

Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle checked the more isolated areas of the school yard with the faint notion that her friend might be undercover after all. Suddenly, she heard some beeping and a rustle in the bushes.

Sweetie Belle, still going along with the “Apple Bloom undercover” idea, crept over the the bushes before hastily pushing the leaves apart where the noise lead her.

Instead, she saw Button Mash playing with his JoyBoy. The filly’s ears sank in disappointment, but she decided she might as well ask. “Hey Button Mash, have you seen Applebloom anywhere?” What she got in retort was unexpected:

“Die you zombies!” Button Mash screamed so loud that Sweetie Belle’s mane stuck up behind her.

“Ugh,” Sweetie Belle brushed her mane back into place, before speaking louder. “Button Mash!”

“Huh, what? What is it?” Button Mash paused the game and looked up, annoyed.

“I said, have you seen Apple Bloom anywhere?” Sweetie Belle repeated herself, slightly annoyed herself.

Button Mash shook his head, “Sorry, haven’t seen her.” He turned around, picked up his Joy Boy, and resumed playing. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and left.

______________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, Scootaloo came across Diamond Tiara, who was having a conversation with a few other ponies about how to improve school conditions. Since her reformation, the former school bully had taken to putting her cutie mark towards better use by using her leadership skills and rich background to help the community; similarly to what the CMCs have been doing. Silver Spoon, by this time, had transferred to another school for reasons unknown and the friendship between the two fillies, having been rocky at one point, was also now unclear. What everypony knew for certain was that Diamond Tiara, if still a bit bossy at times, had gotten to be very helpful and approachable.

Scootaloo came up to the group of ponies surrounding her, and made a big announcement: “Excuse me everypony, I’m very sorry to be bothering you at this moment, but have you any idea of where Apple Bloom is?”

A few ponies looked annoyed at the disruption, but Diamond Tiara looked concerned. “No, I don’t think any of us have seen her anywhere. Maybe she’ll show up tomorrow.” And the group of ponies went back to talking.

______________________________________________________________________________

As the end of recess approached, the two CMCs shared their findings and realized that nopony seemed to know where their friend might be. They decided that their final resort, at least while they were at school, was to ask Ms. Cheerilee.

“Excuse me, Ms. Cheerilee,” said Sweetie Belle, approaching the teacher.

“Yes Sweetie Belle?”

“Do you know where Apple Bloom is?”

“Well, I’ve actually received a letter from Applejack saying that she can’t come in today. She said that Apple Bloom as a fever.” Replied Ms. Cheerilee.

Sweetie Belle fell thrown back, especially since her gut seemed still told her that something was off. “that’s strange; she seemed alright to me the day before.”

Ms. Cheerilee noticed Sweetie Belle’s concern, “All I know is what the letter said. It could be a 24 hour fever; those types come and go pretty fast. I wouldn’t worry so much.”

“Okay, thanks Ms. Cheerilee,” Sweetie Belle said before entering the classroom. She immediately ran into Scootaloo.

“There’s no need to repeat it Sweetie Belle,” said the pegasus. “I heard Ms. Cheerilee. But my real question is this; do you think that might be the case?”

“I don’t know, but for some reason, I still have doubts” Sweetie Belle said.“Something fishy is going on. We should find Applejack after school and get to the bottom of this.”

Absent Pony

A ride on Scootaloo’s scooter took the fillies from school to the Apple farm in approximately five minutes. Normal walking distance was closer to fifteen, but Scootaloo’s wings had grown slightly bigger and much stronger over the years. While she still couldn’t fly, she was very hopeful at the idea of being able to some day and had been practicing many stunts on her scooter, strengthening her wings in preparation for when that day would come. It was also the worry and anticipation hanging in the two fillies’ stomachs - that persistent feeling that something was very off with the friend they had known for years - that drove the scooter beyond its’ normal speed limit.

Because of this excitement, Scootaloo had some trouble slowing down as the scooter quickly approached the Apple Farm; she had only seconds to halt the scooter to a stop and, despite breaking her wings against the wind, this proved to be difficult.

The two fillies screamed to take cover as Big Mac, absorbed in his work, grew in their field of view. “Look out, Big Mac!” Screamed Scootaloo.

The stallion’s head whipped left and, paralyzed in shock, his eyes widened: “NononononononNONONONO-”

CRASH!

Fortunately, Scootaloo had managed to alter the direction of the scooter in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately, that wasn’t before the two fillies crashed through the fence and knocked over Big Mac from the side. The three ponies lay down, groaning in pain, until Applejack came running outside.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on-” She stopped short when she saw the damage, and, concerned, came running over.” Are you three alright? What ‘appened?”

Sweetie Belle groaned. “We’re… a little hurt… but not too much-”

“We kind of damaged your fence”, piped up Scootaloo, “and it was my fault for not stopping my scooter on time-”

“I can fix that fence easily; I just hope non of y’all are hurt!” Applejack came over and helped the two fillies up. “You alright, Big Mac?”

Big Mac didn’t say anything, but he groaned.

“I’ll get you some ice, Big Mac. Why don’t you other two come inside and we can talk. It’s just as well that you came, because there’s something I think I should ask you.”

______________________________________________________________________________

The two fillies sat in the living room while Applejack went to get some lemonade. They exchanged glances and whispers on how to bring up the situation.

“So, we haven’t seen Applebloom around at all,” whispered Scootaloo. “Could she be up in her room sick, or could she be, like, gone gone?”

“I think there’s only one way to find out”, replied Sweetie Belle as the older of the two sisters entered the living room with a tray of tea and cookies. The two fillies waited for her to put down the tea set before delivering what could be shocking news of a possible disappearance. Finally, when Applejack sat down, the two fillies spoke at once:

“Is Applebloom here!?!”

Applejack looked thrown back. “Well, of course she is.” The two fillies sighed in relief as Applejack continued. “She came home from school somewhat early, went right up to ‘er room an’ has been up there ever since. Why do you two seem so concerned ‘bout her?”

“Well, the thing is…” Scootaloo’s hoof rubbed the back of her head. “We didn’t see her at school today, and we wanted to ask you about it.”

“We were worried, so we asked Ms. Cheerilee where she could be and she said Applebloom was at home sick. But if you’re saying she wasn’t home for some time earlier today…” the filly’s voice trailed off; the gut feeling having accompanied her all day spread to a rapid thump-thump in her chest. Now it was her turn to speak softly. “Was she not at home sick?”

Applejack, eyes closed, shook her head solemnly. “Applebloom’s her usual strong, healthy self far as ai’m concerned. But a’ can’t believe what a’m hearing; she musta’ written a fake letter to Ms. Cheerilee… A’ don’t believe it. A’ had no clue she was skippin’ class… this ain’t like ‘er at all.”

Nopony spoke for a while; the onset of Applebloom’s unusual and dishonest behaviour grew over them like a heavy stormcloud. Nopony knew what to say, or what to do.

It was Applejack who finally spoke up: “You know somethin’? You two sure are sweet for showing so much concern for your friend. An’ to be honest, ai think ai can trust you two to discuss this matter further. So I’ll present my side of the story, an’ maybe y’all can help me figure out what’s goin’ on.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Y’all see,” began Applejack, “Applebloom ‘asn’t quite been actin’ ‘erself these days. I’m not sure ‘ow she’s been around you two, but it’s probably been a couple of weeks since she started.

The two fillies’ eyes widened in shock. “A couple of weeks!” Exclaimed Scootaloo. “How come we didn’t know?!” Cried Sweetie Belle.

“That’s what ai was goin’ ta ask you two; if you’ve noticed anything strange ‘bout her.

“We didn’t!” The two fillies said in a mix of shock and disappointment. Normally, the two friends rarely kept secrets from each other; it was one of the main aspects of being bonded by a special destiny to work together and help others. How could Applebloom possibly be keeping anything from them, and for two weeks?

Applejack spoke similarly to what they were thinking. “A’m quite surprised as you are that Applebloom didn’t seem any different around you, because she’s been quite different aroun’ here.”

“How so,” asked Sweetie Belle, her heart racing.

“Well…” began Applejack. “Her mood, fer starters. She’s been walkin’ round the farm like a stormcloud is constantly over ‘er, doing her chores sluggishly as Granny Smith. An’ when ai try to ask ‘er what’s wrong… She’ll just look away from me and say its’ nothin’. And her tone of voice… she’s so softspoken these days, like she’s tryin’ to hold somethin’ back.” Applejack’s voice started to crack at the memory. “As fer me ai… ai’ve been tryin’ so hard not ta worry, thinkin’ that maybe she’s goin’ through some preteen stuff, but it ‘appened so suddenly an’ lasted so long, and now apparently she’s skippin’ school an’... ai just don’t know what ta do anymore…” Applejack’s eyes misted over and she closed them, trying to compose herself.

Scootaloo nudged Sweetie Belle. “Now that I think of it, Sweetie Belle… haven’t you noticed something change in Applebloom’s behaviour lately? Like, other than skipping school I mean.”

Sweetie Belle was suddenly hit with a memory of a CMC mission a few days earlier. “Actually… Applebloom did act a little weird when we were helping that pony get her cutie mark in skateboarding. I mean, she went along with the mission as usual, but when one of us mentioned something - and I can’t really remember what it was - something seemed to strike in her, and she was quiet the rest of the day. But she didn’t tell us what it was and the next day, she seemed fine.” Sweetie Belle’s ears drooped. “Is that what you’re thinking of, Scoot?”

Scootaloo nodded. “Yes, that’s the only time I can remember Applebloom acting different. But I don’t think we thought anything of it at first because, well, it was a one-time occurence, and when we saw her the next day she was fine.”

Silence hung heavy in the room, once again. This time, it was Sweetie Belle who broke the silence, her voice cracking: “How could we not have noticed something was going on?”

“Don’t blame yourselves, you two”, said a soft-spoken but well-meaning Applejack. “These things slip by us sometimes, when we’re so comfortable with each other or so absorbed in what we’re doin’... an’ a’ don’t think there is much you could ‘ave done anyhow.” Her voice faltered slightly.

Suddenly, an idea popped into Scootaloo’s mind. “Hey Sweetie Belle, remember that “Apple Bloom undercover” idea we had earlier today? Maybe we could go undercover, and search for Apple Bloom if she goes missing again tomorrow?”

Applejack smiled. “That’s a good idea, but you two have to be in school. A’ really appreciate your concern, but a’ think a’ should be the one ta search fer her tomorrow. Now that a’ know she’s skippin’ school and have somewhat of an idea of what might be goin’ on… a’ think a’ can handle this.” Applejack gave a reassuring smile, but her eyes held some kind of unreadable emotion.

______________________________________________________________________________

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo left the Apple Farm beneath a cloud of uncertainty.

“Do you think Applejack can find Apple Bloom all on her own”, Sweetie Belle asked Scootaloo. The two walked slowly, lost in thought.

“I don’t know”, replied Scootaloo. “There are so many possible places she might be. On the other hand…” her ears perked up. “Maybe she can ask somepony with lots of magic for help.”

A weird look crossed Sweetie Belle’s face. “Yeah, that’s right. How come nopony ever even thinks about that? It feels like everypony with powerful magic, with the exception of Twilight and Starlight, tends to wander off whenever help is needed the most; a few examples are when The Shadow attacked Equestria, when the Storm King invaded, even when Discord was evil…” A smile crossed her face. “I wonder if we should ask Discord?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “I don’t know about that. I mean, he is reformed and all… but remember when he broke that window Pipsqueak had to fix? Also, I don’t really know how to summon him, and what if he-”

“Okay, okay, I get it. Look; Applejack wants to try looking herself. So maybe we should let this conflict unfold in a traditional Equestrian fashion, where our sisters do the hard work and usually wind up saving the day anyway, and if that doesn’t work we can ask Twilight for ideas on seeking powerful assistance.” Sweetie Belle grinned. “Does that sound good?”

Scootaloo thought for a second. “Well, I mean, that always seemed to work before… so sure.” The two fillies smiled, and continued into the setting sun.

______________________________________________________________________________

Neither of the ponies knew that Applejack did, in fact, have a rather sharp idea of where her sister might be. All it had taken was to connect the dots; something which had taken a while partially due to being overwrought with concern, but now the full image was starting to become clear. She hadn’t mentioned anything to her sister’s friends, because there was no need; there were sure to find out eventually.

Apple Bloom’s mood swings had lasted a couple of weeks, and that was about the same amount of time that passed since the big incident. Applejack had had doubts at first, but her gut as the element of honesty rarely failed her. Tomorrow would be the time to pursue her instincts and search for her sister.

______________________________________________________________________________

The next day, the weather was unexpectedly rainy. The skies hung low and grey, raindrops falling faster than a heartbroken pony’s tears.

A’ never thought, thought Applejack as she headed for Twilight’s School of Friendship, that the sky would be cryin’ on a fitting day to do so. Following her gut feeling and continuing to connect the dots in her mind, Applejack knew that today would be rough and emotional. But the most important thing was to get to the bottom of this mess, and hopefully resolve things the best she could.

The first thing to do - Applejack had been prepared for this - was to ask Twilight for some time off of her job at the school.

______________________________________________________________________________

The cemetery looked dark and grey against the stormy skies. Drops fell from tombstones as though the dead themselves were crying.

The only pony in the cemetery sat a drenched, miserable Applebloom. Her mane and hairbow hung heavy with rainwater as she stared, through watery eyes, at the two gravestones marked with two names she had committed to memory since that emotional day:

We're far apart in every way

But you're the best part of my day…

The words hung in the filly’s head, like a catchy song. She thought of the beautiful song of tragic love she would never hear again, and didn’t know why. The tears in her eyes got bigger.

And you should not blame me, too

If I can't help fallin' in love with you...

The two ghosts which Applebloom briefly imagined on the tombstones drifted away; ghosts with words sung by the dead. Suddenly, she felt a hoof on her shoulder.

Applebloom rubbed her eyes and swiveled around. She met the big, green, honest eyes of her sister’s, concerned against the stormy skies. Her voice spoke with a stern heaviness:

“Applebloom, we need to talk.”

Hidden Tears

“Applebloom, we need to talk.”

The young filly looked into the honest eyes of her older sister; eyes which saw so much into others, and exactly into her sister’s. The rain continued to pour from heavy skies, cascading down her long dripping main and drenched fur. The two soaked sisters looked at each other in silence.

But inside Applebloom’s head, the song that had haunted her for so many days was playing. We're far apart in every way, but you're the best part of my day. And sure as I breathe the air, I know we are the perfect-

“Applebloom. Listen; please listen. I know what yer thinkin’. It’s ‘bout what ‘appened these past couple a’ weeks, ain’t it.”

Applebloom felt her head nod slightly; just enough to confirm the suspicions of her older sister. What came in response was unexpected:

“Listen; a’ know yer upset an’ all, butcha can’t go runnin’ off like that without tellin’ anypony; you really had me and yer friends worried when you didn’t show up at school. It really wasn’t fair fer you ta get me worried so; me havin’ no idea where you’ve been.” This was somewhat of a white lie, for Applejack did know from the beginning where Applebloom might be due to the sequences of the past weeks’ events, along with her behaviour around the farm. Nevertheless, what Applebloom had done was completely dishonest, and some discipline still needed to be enforced. “You shouldn’t write fake letters ta teachers like that, for you can really…” Applejack’s voice began to falter as her sister started to tremble, her eyes filled with the buildup of raw emotion.

“Oh dear, I… Applebloom, yer havin’ a hard time with this; ain’t ya. It’s our parents bein’ dead, ain’t it.”

Applebloom stood frozen, without an indication of yes or no. But Applejack knew the truth. She pulled her sister into an embrace and they sat at the gravesites while the rainwater and tides rolled in.

______________________________________________________________________________

The two ponies sat together for a long time by the gravesites of their parents. Applebloom, having cried herself out and become somewhat comforted with the warmth of her sister, slowly felt a question echo in her mind. It gradually replaced the memory of her mother’s song as though being right here began to shift her thoughts towards bigger questions - one really big question that hit her in the chest like one tide signaling the beginning of an anticipated storm.

Despite her inner, thrashing feelings of confusion, the sky began to clear. Clouds parted; sunlight streamed through the cracks; there was even a big rainbow in the distance that Applebloom could practically reach out and touch. Her conflicting mind went to the idea of Scootaloo riding across that rainbow; anything that could distract it for the slightest moment.

Applejack’s eyes met hers, and the thought came back; smashing against Applebloom’s chest. “Will you be okay, Applebloom?”

Applebloom wanted so much to say what was on her mind, but her tongue had been tied the entire afternoon. For some reason, she found herself nodding stiffly.

“Remember; I know this’s hard fer you, but you can’t go off wanderin’ like you did. You had us all worried. And please talk ta me if yer upset, because I’ve been worried a long time.”

Guilt began to settle into Applebloom’s chest; a new feeling amidst the confusion and chaos.

“We can visit this gravesite again soon, if ya want, but fer now I think we should head back to the farm, okay?” There was a hint of something behind Applejack’s kind words of discipline; something right behind her voice and eyes that was hard to read. If it wasn’t for her own conflicting emotions, Applebloom probably would have asked what was wrong. If there was one thing she knew, it was that it was sometimes hard being the big sister.

Therefore, as the two ponies headed home, one certain thought of resolution began to settle in the centre of Applebloom’s mind; that she would try her best to hide her emotions from now on, and make things easier for everypony. That way, they wouldn’t feel obligated to answer her big question.

______________________________________________________________________________

But the question kept grating at her, all throughout the day. he maintained a smile while doing her chores on the farm; she talked to Big Mac, Applejack, and Granny Smith as though everything were okay. She even - in an effort to hide her feelings further - offered to do extra chores on the farm to make up for her sulky behaviour. This clearly pleased Applejack, and to Applebloom it almost helped take her mind off things. So Applebloom worked until dusk, when her sister finally called her in.

______________________________________________________________________________

“Are you sure yer okay, Applebloom?”, Applejack asked while tucking in her sister that night. “You worked awfully long hours today; I’ve never seen you so devoted before.”

Applebloom smiled widely despite the aching in her limbs and rongoing restlessness in her mind. “I just, you know, wanted ta make up fer my weird behaviour.”

Applejack smiled a bit, despite the confusion in her eyes. “Ya did seem awfully upset earlier today; it’s like a whole week ‘as passed since this mornin’.

The memory hit Applebloom in the chest, but she maintained her smile nonetheless. “Well, it did really help havin’ ya there ta comfort me.” That was at least one part of the truth.

“Well then…” Applejack seemed pleased. “I’m glad a could help. But fer now on, you have ta promise me ta consult me about these concerns, and not take them on yerself. Ai know how it’s been since…” A flash of pain showed quickly in Applejack’s eyes, before she closed them and sighed deeply. “Just… please talk ta me ‘bou these things.”

This was all it took for Applebloom to know that the question gnawing at her could not ask the question gnawing at her without possibly upsetting her sister.

______________________________________________________________________________

Applebloom tossed and turned in her bed that night. The exhaustion in her limbs begged for sleep, but her mind would not slow down. There were worries and confusion that weren’t calmed even with a day of hard work; thoughts which could not be cleansed by blissful unconsciousness. Aside from pondering her question, Applebloom started to go over the events that happened a little over a year ago.

A few weeks back was the first anniversary of their journey in discovery. Now that the anniversary passed a couple of weeks back, Applebloom remembered the time where she and her siblings searched for the history of their late parents. What they learned was that their parents were star-crossed lovers of two rivaling families; the Apples and the Pears. But they loved each other nonetheless, married nonetheless… and disappeared.

Applebloom knew, with her other siblings, that her parents were dead. Her sister had explained it so tenderly to her shortly after the siblings learned their parents’ history. But Applebloom wasn’t content; the unraveling of family history only brought up confusion for her, like The Shadow rising from the very spell that awoke The Pillars of Old Equestria and brought about conflict - both situations were a result of unraveled history.

The question that had slammed Applebloom in the chest ever since that day was this: What was the cause of her parents’ death?

There was nothing more Applebloom could do except cry herself to sleep, pondering on a solution that doesn’t seem to come.

______________________________________________________________________________

Applejack rose early the next morning. She had dreamt of the day that the three siblings searched for the history of their parents, and got all the answers of their history. Then, when Applejack turned around, Applebloom had run away. The remainder was very blurry and distorted, like most dreams.

The sun through the window had barely broken the horizon, but there was still a busy day ahead. Breakfast to make; school to attend; chores to do. But Applejack’s mind felt foggy with the remnants of her dream. She knew something was bothering her sister, but didn’t know what. She also didn’t know how to reach Applebloom with such a hard topic that had been unraveled only a little over a year ago.

______________________________________________________________________________

“Breeeeaaaakfast!” Applejack called, ringing the breakfast bell and before she knew it, a blurry-eyed Applebloom stumbled into the kitchen.

“Well, hey there sugarcube; I’m making pancakes!” In an effort to butter over an elephant in the room. Applejack slid a plate piled high with apple and blueberry pancakes onto the table for her sister. “Eat up quick; you don’t wanna be late fer school do ya?”

Applebloom made her way to the table with bangs drooping in her eyes. She didn’t look up.

Applejack frowned. “You okay, Applebloom?”

What she expected to see was Applebloom look up, smile, and say everything was alright. But this time, she didn’t look up, and the words came out in a mumble. he was back to her old self from the past few weeks.

______________________________________________________________________________

The rest of breakfast had been silent between the two sisters. Applejack either didn’t know what to say, didn’t want to say anything, didn’t feel she needed to say something… who knew. Applebloom didn’t know.

The filly trudged over to school in a sort of fog. Her resolution to stay happy was somewhat lost as of the past evening, the night’s bout of tears a helpless lamentation. Now she had to face the day, and go to school; there was no getting out of it this time around.

The Earth Pony’s feelings of the day before at the gravesite were mixed. She felt guilty for ditching school; curious at Applejack’s stern, comforting but somewhat passive reaction; frustrated for her unanswered question; angry at herself for not having the guts to ask.

It was through long bangs hiding her red dreary eyes that Applebloom caught sight of her friends.

______________________________________________________________________________

“So if Applebloom does show up today, what do you think we should say to her?” Asked Scootaloo. She rode her scooter slowly alongside Sweetie Belle on the way to school.

The unicorn looked uncertain. “I’m… really not sure. I mean, the whole situation is kind of awkward; what if she doesn’t want us knowing that we spoke to Applejack about her behind her back?”

Scootaloo tried to imagine an angry Applebloom finding out what they did the day before. “Well,” she replied, “to be fair, maybe she should know what happened as a result of her avoiding everypony and having us so worried.”

“Applebloom is going through a hard time, Scoot,” said a defensive Sweetie Belle. “Ponies can sometimes act out of character if they’re really sad. If you can recall, you suddenly didn’t want to perform the flag-carrying routine. You were so excited about… until Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon made fun of you for not being able to fly.”

Scootaloo flinched when the subject was brought up, but she knew Sweetie Belle didn’t mean any harm. “You could be right Sweetie, except that that was a situation of bullying, not… Applebloom’s situation is just very different.” There was a period of silence after that.

“I see Applebloom now”, said Sweetie Belle after a few moments. “How about if we just go up to her, and act like everything’s natural.

“Like they are”, mumbled Scootaloo beneath her breath. The two went over to meet their friend.

______________________________________________________________________________

“Applebloom! Hi! How are you today?” Sweetie Belle said brightly.

To the two friends’ surprise, Applebloom barely looked up as she mumbled something they didn’t hear.

Scootaloo decided to go along with her own idea. “Are you sure you’re okay, Applebloom? You had us worried yesterday when you disappeared so suddenly.”

Sweetie Belle shot her friend a look, before grinning back at Applebloom.

Applebloom looked up slightly from beneath her bangs. “I was sick; ai gave a note ta Ms. Cheerilee…” the words were slightly slurred, like she was almost falling asleep.

Scootaloo continued in earnest. “Applebloom, I hate to be pushy but you really don’t sound like yourself. Are you sure you’re-”

“Ai’m fine, fine…” Applebloom waved the two friends off. “I’m just… gettin’ over it, okay? Ma sister said… Ai shouldn’t miss so much school.”

“Well… okay.” The two other ponies were at a complete loss for words.

______________________________________________________________________________

When the bell rang, Scootaloo pulled Sweetie Belle aside. “Hey”, she whispered. “Remember what I said about asking somepony for help?”

Sweetie Belle looked surprised at the suggestion. “Yeah, that’s right…” but we know where Applebloom is now; what could somepony with powerful magic do at this point?”

“Well,” Scootaloo’s ears perked up. “The pony I’m thinking of isn’t just somepony with powerful magic, but she happens to know a whole lot about friendship.

Sweetie Belle’s ears immediately perked with realization at the brilliant idea.

“I think”, continued Scootaloo, “that we should consult her after school.”

Deep Explanation

Throughout class, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo kept watchful glances on their friend. They watched Applebloom’s expression during class and note-taking, searching consistently for any signs of improvement.

From their viewpoints, there were some small signs of participation in class discussion and initiative towards answering questions. Even these few bouts appeared forced, like Applebloom was mustering all her strength to appear confident for just a few minutes. Then, when these bouts passed, the troubled filly’s head would drop, her bangs drooping. Occasionally she would cower into her seat, like wishing she could disappear. It was these signs which appeared odd to most ponies, but concerning to her close friends, which helped confirm their observations that there was definitely something wrong.

______________________________________________________________________________

When the end of the school day finally approached, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were prepared for their first official plan, and that involved going to Twilight’s School of Friendship. Ever since their bout of begging to be apart of the school, the CMCs were awarded graduate certificates granting them the right to tutor Twilight’s students a few times a week, along with participation in field trips. Though a far cry from being actual students, this still provided the opportunity to take part in fun friendship-learning activities while fulfilling their destiny to help others with their experience and potential.

This was a great time for the first initial plan to help Applebloom, which was asking Twilight for advice.

______________________________________________________________________________

Applebloom dragged herself out of the school behind all the students before reluctantly climbing aboard Scootaloo’s scooter. The redness in her eyes had cleared and her bangs didn’t droop so much, but she still appeared visibly unhappy to her friends as there was a constant sadness in her glassy eyes, even when she she forced a big smile in response to them asking her if anything was wrong. It was as though the wall within her, the one which held emotions in check and feigned happiness whenever she was around her friends, was finally starting to crumble into nothingness.

On the way to Twilight’s school Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo held their fair share of guilt for not being able to help sooner, and frustration at Applebloom for hiding her problems.

______________________________________________________________________________

In spite of their concern for Applebloom, the sight of Twilight’s large, beautifully constructed institution for learning invoked warmth within the two CMCs. Though they didn’t notice it, the harmonious sound of the waterfall and playful squeals of kids even made Applebloom smile a little.

Scootaloo parked right by the steps and when the three CMCs came to the doors Twilight opened them, smiling warmly. “Hello, fillies. I hope you are ready, because I have a lot for you to do,” her voice faltered as she noticed Applebloom’s gloomy expression, and the worried looks on her friends’ faces.

“Um, Twilight”, said Sweetie Belle, “I hope this isn’t too bad a time, but we were wondering if you could help Applebloom.”

______________________________________________________________________________

The two CMCs told Applebloom to stay put, and so she did; she sat in a corner while watching her friends talk to Twilight from a distance.

There was much talking on Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle’s parts, and many sincere or concerned looks from Twilight. There were glances towards Applebloom, who responded by sheepishly looking downward. Finally, the conversation broke, and the three headed over.

“Alright, Applebloom; your friends requested that I meet with you in my office.” Twilight spoke sternly, her two friends looking at her with concern.

Applebloom didn’t bother arguing, except for one thing: “What about my tutoring?”

Twilight smiled warmly. “Starlight will fill in for you; she has way too much time on her hands and would love to help out. Now, come with me please.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Twilight’s office was huge hybrid of a workspace and a library; around her desk file boxes as tall as six feet, and at the far back was a large bookshelf with comfy couches and bean bag chairs. Twilight brought a beanbag chair close to her desk for Applebloom to sink comfortably into, and she herself sat behind her desk. Her face was full of grave concern. “Applebloom, your friends asked that I speak to you due to a very important matter, and that is of your well-being.”

Applebloom was quiet in response. All day she would either look up and pretend to be okay, or look downwards to hide her feelings. Presently, she had resumed the latter.

Twilight continued. “I can see something is troubling you. And your friends are very concerned about your mood and actions over the past couple of days. Your sister is very concerned about your mood around the farm over the past few weeks. You’ve been hiding something, Applebloom, and you need to say what it is. We want to help you, and nopony can if you don’t say what it is.” Twilight’s words were genuine and natural, having picked up so many skills for resolving conflict and amending friendships during her years of studying the magic of the subject.

Applebloom, for the first time that day, raised her heavy head and focused her tired eyes into those of the pony in front of her. Seeing trust and a possible answer, she finally spoke.

______________________________________________________________________________

Starting from the very beginning, the words that were stuck inside Applebloom for so long poured out. She talked about how she never knew her parents until one day, she found out who they were; two lovers from conflicting families who married in spite of the circumstances. She even told Twilight of her mother’s song that would replay in her head from time to time, and sang a verse of it. She spoke of going to her parents’ gravesite on that stormy day. As she did, her voice started to crack, and not wanting to start crying, she moved on.

But the heaviness only spread from her head to her eyes and only pushed further. The filly talked about her feelings since that day; her feelings of missing her parents, wondering who they were and what happened to them.

Finally, Applebloom breathed deep, and choked out the question: “What happened to my parents? Why did they die?”

Twilight’s expression had changed throughout the conversation, becoming more and more sympathetic and even saddened by the time Applebloom had finished speaking. She stayed quiet for a moment, then spoke.

“I’ll tell you what I know, Applebloom. It might not be the whole story, but I think it will solve your curiosity. But before I go into that, I want to talk about something else.”

Applebloom sat quietly, and listened.

“You are going through something very painful, and it is no surprise that it is taking such a tool on you. The death of a family member is to heavy for anypony to bear, and that is something I have an idea of. Do you know the story of Nightmare Moon?”

Applebloom nodded, trying to hide her impatience to get to the point.

Twilight continued: “When Princess Luna turned into Nightmare Moon, Princess Celestia had to banish her with the Elements of Harmony. Luna was Nightmare Moon at the time, but she was Celestia’s own sister. And banishment for a thousand years, what she probably thought would be forever, may as well have been the death of a sibling. And it was something she had to bear all on her own.”

Despite her racing heart to find the truth of her parents, Applebloom managed to put Luna’s backstory into perspective. She never thought much about it before, and it never really occurred to her to compare it to the death of a family member.

“As I said, that weight is way too much for a pony to carry on her shoulders, and it isn’t something you should be carrying on your own. I’ll tell you now about your parents, but afterwards, you need to promise me not to keep everything inside you.”

Applebloom nodded, her heart racing harder. “I promise. Please tell me.”

Twilight began.

______________________________________________________________________________

“You must understand that I didn’t know your sister at the time, so I am only saying what she told me. I never witnessed it myself. But when you are ready, maybe you can ask your sister and she can tell the story from her own perspective.”

“If you can recall from what you heard, your grandfather was very overprotective of your mother, and didn’t want her marrying into the Apple family, right?”

Applebloom nodded.

Twilight sighed. “Your grandparents never told you this, but your grandfather’s overprotective behaviour wasn’t just about his family’s business. It was something much deeper.”

Applebloom was set back in shock, her heart pounding harder than ever. She remembered what her siblings said about Grand Pear once being so money-hungry and remorseful of the Apples, and the sadness in his eyes when he met and made peace with Granny Smith after so many years of rivalry. It seemed so believable at the time… but it was a lie?

“Your grandfather used his business as a reason to stay away from the Pears, but the reality was the need to protect his daughter… because she was sick.”

Applebloom’s eyes widened even more.

Twilight continued: “You see, this part was left out of the story. Your mother’s health was actually very weak. Her father was overprotective like any parent would be, and he just didn’t want his daughter to go off and marry. He was worried for her well being, and didn’t want her to marry into a family with rivalrous history which might not take her seriously due to her weak health, and her inability to contribute to the business in any way. Keeping the Pear family seperate was important to your grandfather, but it wasn’t the only factor. The main factor was to keep your mother - his daughter - safe and secure.”

“It was coincidental that she was marrying into a family rivaling hers, but it certainly didn’t help the situation. Your grandfather didn’t trust the Pears to begin with; how could he trust them to take care of his daughter? He knew his daughter was in love… but he just couldn’t help himself, until she finally stood up and said she was going along with her marriage.”

“So your parents stayed together. Your mother didn’t want to go back to her family; she was too bitter with them for not trusting the Apples to treat her well, for acting like she couldn’t take care of herself in spite of her health. That is why she married your father, stayed with the Apple family… and had kids.”

“The Apples did treat her well. And she lived until Applejack was at least 5, Big Mac was at least 7. And… she died… giving birth to you.”

Applebloom’s heart stopped. She stared back at Twilight in disbelief. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t think. The room started to spin, and the tides threatened to overtake her. But she wouldn’t let them; she needed to hear the rest of the story.

“Your father tried his best running the farm afterwards, and Granny Smith took care of you three. You were only a baby, so you obviously don’t remember the death of your mother. And you also don’t remember the death of your father… he died when you were only two.

Applebloom strained her throbbing mind for a memory trace of her father’s presence. She couldn’t, and thinking of it only increased the pressure behind her eyes that threatened to overtake her.

“Your father was really stressed one day. Business was getting tough; your mother had been able to perform some work even with her weak health, so with her gone things were a lot harder. And the grief of losing her was too much for him as well… you know how much they loved each other.

You’re in my head… like a catchy song… And you should not blame me, too

If I can't help fallin' in love with you...

“There wasn’t a direct cause of his death. Some think it was the stress of running the farm, some say it was a broken heart. Ponies can die from broken hearts, as well as stress.” Twilight closed her eyes, her voice lowering. “He just… gave out one day. It may have been a combination of stress and heartbreak…………………………… and Granny Smith………… sorry………… Applebloom?...……………………”

“Applebloom?...………………………”

The tides were too strong. They threw Applebloom against the surf, washing over her again and again. She couldn’t talk. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. The world grew fuzzy and watery. She was underwater, drowning beneath strong relentless currents.

She blacked out.

The Sibling Answer

Outside the filly’s dark, unconscious mind was the chaos of shouting and following her blackout. A shocked Twilight teleported into the classroom for tutoring to gather Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo for an emergency, telling the confused students to stay put.

The three ponies rushed back to Twilight’s office to find an unconscious Applebloom. Scootaloo’s eyes widened in shock; Sweetie Belle rushed over and held her friend’s hooves, feeling for a pulse before faintly and weakly stating “she’s alive”.

“But what happened?!” Scootaloo asked, her eyes still widened.

Twilight found her voice: “I’m really sorry for startling you like this, girls. I just… didn’t know what to do. I told her what happened to her parents and… she blacked out.” Twilight’s eyes lowered beneath her bangs, just like Applebloom earlier in the day. She bristled sheepishly. “I think the story… was too much for her to take, but I just had to tell her; she really wanted the truth and I felt like she deserved to know.”

“We understand,” said Sweetie Belle softly, still kneeling by Applebloom. “At least now we know why she’s been so upset… only why do you think she’s only feeling this way now?”

“Applebloom told me the whole story”, Twilight replied. “You see, I don’t think she ever told you this. A few weeks ago…” Twilight repeated the day that the Apple siblings found the backstory of their parents. “... and to this day, Applebloom wondered consistently about the death of her parents. She never knew them, but hearing their backstory struck something within her… and since then, she kept searching for answers she couldn’t obtain.”

“But why didn’t she ask anyone?” Scootaloo said.

“She couldn’t get herself to ask her siblings because she was worried about upsetting them”, Twilight replied. “She knew that losing their parents was hard, and didn’t want to bring anything up. She also knew that you two couldn’t help her; could only provide reassurance and nothing more. So she kept it all inside…” Twilight looked down at Applebloom sadly. “Maybe even she knew the truth would be too much of a shock. Maybe she was too scared to ask, while at the same time wanting answers. And when I finally told her the truth… she got what she wanted, but it was so hard to take in…” Twilight's voice cracked. “I believe that anypony would have trouble taking in something like that.”

Scootaloo slowly walked up to Twilight and spoke softly. “Can you tell us what she heard?”

Sweetie Belle stood up. “Yes. We would like to know. What happened to her parents?”

Twilight recounted the story.

______________________________________________________________________________

The two fillies left the friendship school with heavy hearts. Applebloom still hadn’t woken up, so Twilight took her back to Sweet Apple Acres herself and told Applejack of the situation, trusting that Applejack wouldn’t get mad at somepony who told the truth. Maybe Twilight did everypony a favour by telling Applebloom once and for all what she needed to hear, taking all the pressure off the Apple family.

The two other CMCs walked in solemnity. Finally, Scootaloo spoke: “It looks like asking somepony with powerful magic was the right thing to do after all. Look how more quickly we were able to solve the situation than if we tried to deal with it ourselves, like always.”

“Well, Sweetie Belle replied, “I would like to point out that it wasn’t Twilight’s magic that helped; it was her knowledge of the Apple Family’s backstory that did.”

“Pear-Apple family,” Scootaloo corrected. “But anyway, maybe you are right on one account except that we still needed Twilight to fly Applebloom back to Sweet Apple Acres.”

“That is true”, said Sweetie Belle thoughtfully. Her eyes brightened with realization. “Maybe the moral of this story should be to ask older ponies for help, with or without powerful magic. After all, that is a lesson that should have been learned when we were being bullied by Babs Seed.”

Scootaloo shuddered at the memory of Babs Seed’s sadistic expressions when tormenting the CMCs alongside Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, despite the fact that they were all now friends. “You are right about that”, she replied. “I suppose we all had our experiences of experiencing troubled thoughts or experiences that could be fixed by older ponies.” She remembered when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon bullied her for being unable to fly.

“Well anyway, it’s a lesson learned”, said Sweetie Belle. “Now that we’ve finally learned it, let’s leave the rest to Twilight and Applejack and hope that everything turns out for the best.”

The two fillies headed home.

______________________________________________________________________________

Applebloom felt the soft, warm sheets against her fur, and the weight of her body sinking into the mattress. It was a welcoming feel after the cold, sharp wind that blew into her skin while Twilight hastily flew her home, which had followed the sharp words of Twilight retelling the story to her friends when Applebloom as starting to regain consciousness. Applebloom had been conscious for all of it, but had decided not to open her eyes until she was home and it was quiet; until she was alone, safe and secure. But the tension only followed her home; tension mixed with the shock of finally hearing the truth and fearing it like she knew she would. The tension caused butterflies to swarm in her stomach; nausea to creep up her throat; pressure to build behind her eyes. She had known that the truth would scare her, but she needed to hear it, and wished she hadn’t heard.

The noise continued to swarm in her brain; repeated words, conversation downstairs. She couldn’t open her eyes even now for all the noise and chaos going on inside her brain. If she kept them closed she wouldn’t have to face any of it; then maybe it would all go away.

Finally, Applebloom lost consciousness and drifted into a troubled sleep.

______________________________________________________________________________

The day continued onward, the sun gradually moving West. The sky above the Sweet Apple Acres turned from bright blue to a purplish hue as evening began to approach. The rest of the Apple Family siblings had spent the entire day doing chores with the episode from earlier at the back of their minds.

Applejack looked over at Big Mac, who was fully absorbed in his work. He hadn’t been talkative since the death of their parents, and spoke only when absolutely necessary. She knew that re-confronting the death of a parent would be too hard for him.

After about an hour, when the sun came closer to the horizon, Applejack looked at her house and sighed deeply; she knew what had to be done.

______________________________________________________________________________

The young filly’s hazy mind was jostled from dark, troubled dreams with a soft knock on the door. Her eyes opened slowly to a room darkly shadowed by window shades, softly lit by the waning sun. The door was opening slowly, revealing more light.

“Sugarcube? Can I come in?”

Sugarcube. Applebloom had grown up used to that name, unlike Applejack’s friends who received it only occasionally. Her tired eyes began to water as the door opened more. The light from the hallway caused her to squint, and tears started to fall.

Applejack came over and sat on her sister’s bed. Her hat was off, her eyes tired. She paused for a moment, unsure where to begin. “I know you talked with Twilight”, she began slowly.

Applebloom nodded. “I fainted when ai heard.” Her words were barely audible.

But Applejack heard them. “How did ya get ta asking Twilight about this instead of us?” But she didn’t seem mad. She seemed genuinely concerned, if a little curious.

Finding her words, Applebloom explained the question that had been pondering at her for so long, and her fear of confronting her siblings about a sensitive matter, along with some fear of finding out herself. So she avoided the truth, worried it would hurt her. But when her friends saw how sad she was, they took her to Twilight. From there on there was such a big elephant in the room that Applebloom just had to give up; she had to ask the question that had eaten away at her since that day. Her voice cracked as she told the story, and tears kept falling.

Applejack didn’t cry. She closed her eyes, possibly to hide the pain within her. “It was hard fer all of us, seeing… them both go like that.” Her voice trembled only the slightest. “You were barely a filly when they were both gone; that’s why you don’t remember them. Someday I’ll tell ya more ‘bout what ‘appened at the time, and what it was like fer all of us. But fer now, ai have two things ta say. First off, it was not yer fault.”

Applebloom let the words of comfort sink in, hardly denting the wall of pain in her.

“Second,” Applejack continued, “we never told you; we figured the truth would be too hard… but ai think ai know now that it never does anypony good to hide the truth…” She opened her eyes, and looked at Applebloom. “And I don’t want you ta hide anythin’ from me ever again. If anythin’ is eatin’ at you, you’ve gotta tell at least somepony about yer feelings, or the truth will eat you away. Do ya understand?”

Applebloom nodded, her eyes blurring.

“Now come ‘ere.” The older pony pulled Applebloom into an embrace as her emotions took over.

Amending Friendships

“Applebloom.”

“Huh?” Applebloom rubbed her eyes, and stared into the empty space.

“Sugarcube; we’re here. Everythin’ is all right. An’ what ‘appened, it ain’t yer fault.”

Applebloom stood back in surprise. “It ain;t?”

“No, sweet. We love you all the same, and we’ll be in each other’s minds……” The wind began to rustle, and Applebloom was left once again in complete darkness.

______________________________________________________________________________

The next few weeks held a heavy atmosphere over the CMCs. Neither Scootaloo nor Sweetie Belle saw it as a good idea to confront Applebloom about the situation with her parents, and decided to wait until she said something to them.

But Applebloom’s emotions were still weird. It was like a heavy weight had been removed from her chest only to be replaced with a stormcloud over her weary mind. Neither of her friends knew what went on inside her head, but they both felt confident it was something that would pass. The real question was not if, but when.

______________________________________________________________________________

But despite the friends’ efforts to reassure one another, Applebloom’s different behaviour still lingered like a stormcloud over all three of them. Learning the death of her parents had solved her curiosity while aging her greatly, opening an entirely new door to her thinking. It was a pathway which neither of her friends had gone before in the entirety of their limited life experience.

To the other two CMCs today was another day at the CMC clubhouse; another day of discussions, missions, and organization. Applebloom, in spite of her efforts to cheerfully lead the meeting, had trouble hiding her feelings that things weren’t quite the same presently as they were many weeks earlier. Regardless, she participated and cooperated in meetings as though nothing had changed; while her misery was lessened, something unexplainable still lingered in the clubhouse.

______________________________________________________________________________

One day, with that unexplainable feeling remaining alongside the CMCs, Scootaloo confronted Sweetie Belle with a new idea.

“I think we should talk to Applejack about… well, how things are going.”

“What do you mean?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“You know, the way Applebloom has been lately. Don’t you realize that there’s been something… off about her?”

Truthfully, Sweetie Belle hadn’t wanted to admit there might be a problem, for fear of confronting her conflicting thoughts as to whether they should intervene again. Intervention had worked the last time when they confronted Applejack and Twilight about Applebloom’s feelings, but…

“I’m really worried about her”, Scootaloo said. “What if this is another problem; something else she may be hiding? If there’s one thing I know, it’s that sometimes you just need to get help, even if you don’t really want to.” Scootaloo thought of when she was bullied for being unable to fly, and kept her feelings from her friends until Rainbow Dash eventually found out, and helped regain her confidence. She didn’t want Scootaloo to go through the same pain she did, on that one difficult day.

It was unclear as to whether Sweetie Belle knew what Scootaloo was referring to, but she managed to be won over.

______________________________________________________________________________

On the way to Sweet Apple Acres, Scootaloo didn’t drive her scooter quite as fast, and therefore managed to stop it when the two fillies were inches away from the newly repaired fence in Sweet Apple Acres.

What they saw was Big Mac performing his job as usual, but this time a familiar unicorn watched from behind the fence.

“Sugar Belle!” The two fillies squealed

Sugar Belle turned at the sound of their voices, and waved jovially. “Hey girls! What a surprise to see you here!”

“Same here.” Scootaloo said as they both walked over. “What are you up to right now?”

“Oh, I was just watching Big Mac do his job…” Sugar Belle blushed as Big Mac continued, pretending not to notice.

Sweetie Belle grinned. It was a time for new beginnings.

______________________________________________________________________________

The two fillies found Applejack and Applebloom working in the garden, and shouted hi.

When Applebloom heard them, she looked over and waved jovially. Perhaps it was due to the distance that the two fillies didn’t quite catch the offset tone in her mood or behaviour.

At a closer look, the scene of two earth ponies happily managing a garden became more detailed. There was no misery or tension of any kind, but there was still something different in Applebloom - no - both ponies’ eyes. They asked to speak to Applejack.

______________________________________________________________________________

The two CMCs explained their concerns to Applejack, who only nodded with a melancholic look in her eyes.

“I really appreciate yer concern, especially since Applebloom is going through some hard times.” The three looked over at Applebloom, who was still minding the garden. She didn’t seem to mind that everypony might be talking about her, or maybe she was pretending not to.

“These have been hard times fer all a’ us, actually. Ai think learning the history of our family brought up some emotion for everypony, but we’re all showin’ it in different ways. Applebloom obviously took it way too hard…”

“But has she been okay?” Scootaloo asked at the same time as Sweetie Belle asked “Is she okay?”

Despite the melancholic look in her eyes, Applejack smiled. “These are hard times, but ai think we’ll pull through. Fer now, you only worry ‘bout yerselves, and be good friends ta Applebloom; it’s probably what she really needs right now.”

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle grinned at each other, somehow knowing that everything would be okay. Rocky at times, but okay.

“Oh, and Applejack,” said Scootaloo, “we were wondering; if Applebloom has free time later from her chores maybe she could grab milkshakes with us?”

Something shone in Applejack’s eyes as she grinned. “I think that’s just what she needs.”

The three of them went over to Applebloom.

“Applebloom.” Applejack called over to her little sister. Applebloom stopped working and turned to her older sister. “Yes sis’?”

“You can head off with your friends now, I’ll take care of the rest.” Applejack softly spoke.

Applebloom’s face turned from normal to concerned. “Are ya sure big sis’? Ya don’t need ma help?”

“It’s alright Sugarcube.” Applejack assured her. “You’ve been through a tough time. I’ll let you off and enjoy the rest of the day with your friends now.”

“Okay.” Applebloom responded, her spirits enlightening. “Come on girls, let’s go to our clubhouse.” The three fillies started going off.

“Take care, ya fillies!” Applejack called out as the fillies ran through the yard towards the clubhouse. “Ah, to be young again…” Applejack sighed and continued her farming.

The End

Author's Note

For anyone who read and/or enjoyed this story, thanks for your appreciation.