Equestria Copes

Applejack followed Apple Bloom closely as she made her way down to the breakfast table. Big Mac was already frying up some eggs for breakfast, and as they were going, he was shredding potatoes and onion for hash browns.

"Mornin', Big Mac," groaned Apple Bloom, climbing up into her seat. "Sleep well?"

"Nope," he answered in his usual tone.

Applejack turned to look at Big Mac. She hadn't been particularly worried about him. He was in mourning, obviously, and he definitely looked worse for wear, but he was acting under the correct assumption that, right now, his family needed somepony to lean on, and as hurt as he was, he was going to be their rock; the pillar that held them up. Big Mac was special like that. Sure, he would grieve and fall apart in his own time, but he knew that lying in bed all day, bawling his eyes out would not be good for his family, or for Sweet Apple Acres, and as long as they needed him, he was going to keep as steady as he could.

For a very brief moment, Applejack stopped to consider whether or not Big Macintosh was capable of handling that news. He was tough, for sure, and he could handle a lot, but right now, he was recovering. Now may not have been the best time to bring up another crack that he would have to patch before it all broke apart.

Big Mac worked fast and efficient, serving up a plate for Apple Bloom in minutes. At the same time, he had a plate for himself, and one more for Granny Smith, who was making her way down the stairs.

"Mornin', Apples," sighed Granny, taking her seat. She was surprisingly doing okay. Not great, as there was a deep sadness plastered all over her face, but despite that, she seemed healthy. She was being well-kept, and that was probably part of Big Mac's doing, combined with the wisdom that came from being alive as long as Granny had.

For a time, nothing was heard but the sound of forks clicking against plates. Usually, the kitchen would be sufficiently lively, but given recent events, Applejack could understand most of the silence. She was unsure if she should try again to convince Apple Bloom to admit her theft, or if she should wait, so right now, she was waiting.

"So, Half-pint, what's yer plans fer today?" asked Granny.

Apple Bloom swallowed her food. "After school, Ah'm gonna go see Scootaloo. Then Ah'll come back an' do mah chores."

Granny Smith rubbed her chin. "Didn't ya go see Scootaloo yesterday, too? As I recall, ya had another friend. Sweetie Belle, weren't it? Don't she need yer help, too?"

"Yeah, but she's managing. Sweetie Belle has her parents ta help 'er out. Scootaloo has her aunts, I guess, but it's not the same."

Granny nodded. "P'raps I should pop in fer a visit; see if they need anythin'..."

"No!" Apple Bloom nearly bolted across the table, but then composed herself. "That won't be necessary. Ah have a handle on it..."

Granny seemed unconvinced, giving Apple Bloom the same disapproving glare Applejack would receive whenever she'd lied to Granny. "Well, if'n you're certain... How 'bout you, Big Mac? Chores?"

"Eeyup."

"Well, make sure ya take it easy. Applebuck season's comin' right up, an' we can't have ya hurtin' yerself an' bein' outta commission."

"Eeyup."

"Now, Ah know that ye'r gonna need some help, so Ah called in yer cousin ta come help ya. Braeburn's gonna stay on the couch fer a week or two, dependin' on how long it takes ta buck all them apples an' tidy up Applejack's room."

Apple Bloom's eyes went wide. "Applejack's..."

Granny reached her hoof across the table, patting Apple Bloom's arm. "Now, don't you worry 'bout that. We ain't sellin' it or givin' it away. We're just cleanin' it up a bit. Applejack wouldn't want us ta just forget about 'er, but we'd be insultin' her memory if'n we let all a' her stuff end up caked in a layer a' dust. It's just cleanin'."

Apple Bloom settled down. Very clearly, she was upset by the fact that anypony was going to touch Applejack's room. Applejack herself took little issue with this. Granny had her photo album and a laundry list of stories, so her memory would persevere in her family's hearts. Clearly, they were all hurt by her passing to some degree, which means she mattered to them a lot. All of her belongings could be set aside until needed, and she'd be fine with that. Even having her possessions used by her family meant invoking her memory, and she would be glad to be of assistance to them even after her passing.

Big Mac scarfed down the last of his breakfast and took his plate to the sink, rinsing it free of debris and heading for the door. As he opened it, Applejack grabbed his shoulder. "Apple Bloom has been stealing cider," she stated plainly. She had made up her mind. Big Mac needed to know.

Big Mac turned and looked at Apple Bloom, then at her bag on the floor, then back to her. He nodded and walked out.

He knew. He had already known that Apple Bloom was stealing from him. Meaning he either didn't care, was allowing it for some inexplicable reason, or he was simply too drained at the moment to be able to do anything about it. Maybe Granny knew already, too, as she had known Apple Bloom was lying about something.

Applejack followed her sister to school and watched her all day long, waiting to see what she did with the bottles. Everything seemed to be completely normal, save for the fact that Scootaloo wasn't in class. Granted, a lot of kids weren't in class, but given the national tragedy that had just occurred, that made some sense. What didn't make sense was that her family knew she was fibbing, and worse, stealing, and was doing nothing to stop it.

The school day passed without incident, and Ms. Cheerilee left the room to a personal memorial in her office of how impactful Twilight had been to the education system of Equestria. She'd always been on good terms with Twilight, anyway, and they both wanted for their students to learn and grow, so that amount of respect between them was understandable.

Meanwhile, Apple Bloom was off. All four bottles were still sealed at this point. However, Apple Bloom wasn't headed to Scootaloo's aunts' house. It was a bit of a shock to find her going all the way back to Sweet Apple Acres and going straight for the Crusader Clubhouse. Applejack followed her in, and was shocked by what she saw there.

"What in tarnation?!"