Storming Hearts

                                           Applejack was in her field, bucking. She wasnt bucking apples, she was bucking a bare tree. Her rage was to much and her hatred for trees and lightning was great. Again she struck the dry bark, and felt it move slightly.

"Stupid rain! Stupid lightning!" Applejack yelled as she hit, again and again. "Stupid....TREES!" Her hooves collided once more, and she felt the tree move again. It started creaking, and then she could hear the thing slamming to the dirt. Applejack heard a scream....Celestia's scream!

She raced to look under the fallen object only to discover there was nothing there.

"What the hay?" She began. "My ears must be hearin' thing's ah ain't seein'." Applejack then decided it was time for her to stop bucking bark and start bucking apples. Walking over to the nearest tree, she swore she could see the figure of celestia behind her. Whipping her head around, she grunted with anger when she relized nothing was there. "Ah, hay. Applejack, you gotta calm your nerves." She said to herself. She retracted her legs close to her body and made sure she was allighned properly. Applejack lashed her hooves out. She winced when she heard a pleading voice.

"Stop!" It said. She rushed to, once again, discover her nerves had caused the illusion. Applejack closed her eyes tight and shook her head vigourosly. When her eyes opened, she gasped.

Celestia was approaching her.

"Why didn't you save me, Applejack?" Celestia said with a rasping, sinister voice.

"Wha... It's not mah fault! I never meant ta'..." Applejack cried.

"Applejack....why?" Celestia's voice deepened and she was coming closer and closer to Applejack. Applejack began running as fast as she could toward the barn. She opened the barn door and ran past Big Mac.

"Applejack? Where ya'll goin-" Big Mac began.

"Get it away!" Applejack screamed. "Get it away! Don't let it catch meh'!" Macintosh looked at her puzzelingly.

"Theres nothin' there, sis." He explained. Applejack gave him a quick look and started for her bedroom door. She ran into the room and slammed the door shut.

"Applejack....Applejack...." Celestia's voice ran through Applejack's ears.

"N..no!" She cried. "Get away from meh'! I ain't done nothing to ya'll!" Applejack huddled in the corner and began rocking back and fourth. "Go away..please!"

"Big sis'?" The voice of Applebloom rang from the other side of the door. "Big sis', please come out! Me an' Big Mac are worried about ya'll!" Applejack looked at the door and slammed herself on the ground.

"I'm never comin' out!" She wailed. "It's all mah' fault!" Applejack let her tears flow out into the room. She knew she did it. It was all her fault. She couldv'e done more. Applejack was melancholy.

"Applejack..." Big Mac sighed. "It's not yer' fault. You did all ya' could!" He approached the door slowly.

"Go away, Big Macintosh!" Applejack screamed. "You don' know what it's like!"  She bucked at the door once and fell once again to the floor in tears.

"Yer' wrong, lil' sis." Macintosh said solemnly. "Let me in, ok?" Applejack thought, and then opened the door to let her brother in. Applebloom looked at her with tears in her innocent little eyes.

"Stay out here, ok, young filly?" Applejack sighed. Applebloom nodded and walked away from the room.

"Applejack, ah' know how ya' feel. Ah' understand compleatly." Mac told her.

"What are ya' talkin' bout Big Mac?" Applejack asked with a hint of anger in her voice. "Your the best, nicest pony ah'v ever met!" Big Mac looked down and sighed.

"You remember Ma' and Pa'?"

"Coarse! How could ah' not?" Applejack replied.

"Ah never told ya' what happened to em', did ah'?" Macintosh questioned.

"No. All ah' remember is holdin' lil' baby Applebloom as a filly in the hospital when they..." Applejack stopped, choking on her tears. "When they passed on..."

"It was a rainy night when it happened.  We were goin' home after Applebloom was born." Big Mac began. "Ma' was in the back of our carriage, and Pa' was pullin' it. Ah' was holdin' Applebloom. Pa' told me he could barely see in the rain, and asked me witch path ta' take. And well, Ah'..." Mac hessitated and started crying. "Ah' couldn't remember the way, and ah'...ah'... ah' didn't know that it was around the time when the bulls do there anual runnin' of the horns." He stopped again. Mac took a deep breath. "Ah' led them right on they're trail... they both...both got hit..." Applejack gasped. "Ah' saved Applebloom but ah' couldn't save Ma' an' Pa' in time." Big Macintosh was crying heavily now, his tears interupted by the occasionial sniff or deep breath. Applejack looked at her brother with tears flowing from her eyes.

"But... ya' didn't know! That's not yer' fault, big brother!" She cried.

"An' you didn't know that tree was gonna' fall on Celestia." Big mac replied. "If ah' had used mah' head, Ma' and Pa' would still be alive. You couldn't have done a thang." Applejack stared at her brother for several moments, then hugged him tightly.

"It's just not fair! It's so hard!" She yelled. Big Macintosh hugged her back.

"Ah' know."  He said. "But ya' need to be strong. Fer' me, fer' Applebloom, fer' Ma' an' Pa'." He looked at her. "Fer' Celestia."  Applejack looked up. Her eyes sparkled with sadness. She thought about what he had said. Applejack nodded.

"Ah' promise."