A loud crack sounded off likened to the sound of thunder. Applebloom woke from a deep sleep and opens her eyes to the dark of the room around her. She lay still in her bed wondering what woke her, then the sound rang off again that hurts her ears. The filly grabbed her pillow and flung it over her ears in an attempt to drown out the noise, but the sound had already passed. Applebloom had never heard a sound like that before; It was quick like the sound of her Granny clanging two pans together and it hurt like the flash of lightning and echoed like thunder.
Ever the curious youth, Applebloom twisted her body and rolled off the bed, landing on four hooves onto the wooden floor below. She took a few unsteady steps towards the window, her legs still half asleep from the deep rest she was in before. Applebloom reached up, pulling aside one of the apple-pattered curtains that blocked her view and looked outside into the dark.
It's still dark outside, the night barely waning into the morning. The moon was a full gibbous that showered the grounds below and the apple trees of the farm in it's light. Applebloom squinted, then rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before looking back out. It took her a moment, but she was able to make out an orange shape standing outside the trees past the fence that separated the grounds from the farm. The shape stood before the tree line, carrying something unrecognizable to the filly, but what she did recognize was the brown stetson hat that adorned the head of the figure. Applebloom knew immediately that it was her sister Applejack, who never went outside without her hat.
Before Applebloom could call out, Applejack disappeared into the copse of trees, taking with her that weird object that was cradled on her back.
"Why is she out this late?" Applebloom thought to herself, pushing off from the window and back on four legs. The filly walked up to her door and opened it just a crack to see to the hallway adjacent to several rooms that lined it. The hallway looked empty, so the filly pushed the door out all the way and stepped out. Appplebloom took careful steps down towards the end of the hallway, her destination being the stairs ahead.
A floorboard creaked, and she stopped and held her breath. The air was still, and she could still make out snoring coming from the occupants of the other rooms. Granny Smith would be able to sleep through couple of explosions, the filly's main fear was waking her elder brother, Big Macintosh, who would send her back to bed if caught. Applebloom didn't want to think about how long she would be grounded if Big Mac found out she was sneaking out way past her bedtime.
Applebloom waited another minute before taking comfort in the even pattern of snores coming from behind the doors. Applebloom quickly, but quietly, made her way to the stairs and stepped down to the lower level before trotting out the front door. She quickly made her way to the treeline that she saw Applejack go into earlier and gave no pause to heading right in after her.
The light of the moon penetrated the canopy of trees thanks to the spacing of the spacing that allowed easy irrigation and harvesting. Applebloom still had a hard time keeping a steady pace thanks to the mudy trail that was created from yesterday's rain. Applebloom was greatful nonetheless, for it showed her the hoof-prints of her sister that continued deeper into the farm of apple trees.
Applebloom heard the sound again. This time it was closer, and there was no pane of glass to shield her ears from the thunder. She covered her ears with her front hooves, allowing her front half to fall prone into the mud. The damage had already been done, and her ears ached from the noise. She stood back up, shook her head, and started running along Applejack's trail.
She was worried for her sister. For all she knew, the sound was a huge pony-eating monster that could eat Applejack in one bite, and maybe Big Mac in two. Family protected each-other, this lesson was drilled into the filly's head since birth and it was a lesson she carried in her head as she charged through the trees without any fear.
If she had been watching the trees instead of the ground, she might have recognized this path. It was one she had traveled many times with her two close friends. It was a place they visited often that was in a private and secluded part of the farm.
Applebloom ran through a clearing from the trees and found herself looking at her clubhouse. A building supported by a large apple tree That seemed to be the oldest for miles. But this was not the object of interest for the young filly. In the midst of the clearing stood Applejack and she was bleeding profusely from a gash in her right side, the blood running down into her hoof and dripping off the curve of her leg. She was holding that object that Applebloom saw her holding earlier.
The object, that Applebloom could see, was made in parts wood and parts metal. It was long and had a narrow end to it that was metal, while the wider wooden end was resting against Applejack as she pointed it...
Right at a wolf four times her own size.
Applebloom saw her sister in the clearing, standing on her hind legs with her gaze locked on the beast. The head was lowered down over the object in her hooves and Applebloom noticed that her hat was missing atop her head, showing off a mud matted mane that clung tightly to the mare's face. She was constantly blinking away the sweat that beaded down her face and she grit her teeth as the sweat stung the wound on her side.
The beast was growling at Applejack, teeth bared and saliva dripping from it's maw. The beast didn't return Applejack's gaze, but kept it's eyes locked onto the object in her hooves. Applebloom felt her breath catch in her lungs, and let she out a small squeak in spiter of herself. The wolf's eyes instantly snapped from Applejack to the much easier prey that had so foolishly ran in but a few bounds away. Applejack noticed the wolf break it's line of sight and looked broke her own gaze to look at the object of interest. Surprise and worry covered her face when she recognized her little sister.
This is all the distraction the beast needed. The moment that Appljack turned her head, the wolf kicked it's legs from under, digging deep into the earth, springing with all speed at the filly. Applebloom couldn't bring herself to move, not even to look away from the creature that was but only a few yards away from her. The beast jumped, muzzle open wide. Applejack gave screamed out her sister's name. Applebloom closed her eyes.
The sound came, louder than it had before. Applebloom's ears rang and a splash of wetness hit her face. She waited for the beast to jump on her and tear her to pieces, but it didn't come. Instead she felt something touch her face, and she heard a muffled sound through the ringing that was low and constant. Applebloom opened her eyes and saw her sister Applejack looking back at her, muddled in red. Her lips were moving but no sound could be heard besides that low mumbling sound. Then her face blurred as the filly's eyes filled with tears as she realized just how scared she was.
Applebloom found use to her legs then, and stepped forward to hug her bigger sister. She felt Applejack's weight give a little towards he hurt side, but then strengthen as she returned the embrace.
Applebloom held her sister for what seemed like hours. Eventually the ringing in her ears stopped, and she was able to hear her sister's gentle whispers in her ear,
"S'alright. S'okay. You're safe now ya hear,? I've gotcha, you're safe."
Applebloom felt comforted ash she felt Applejack's hoof stroke her head, and as she cried into her sister's shoulder.
Applebloom opened her eyes too look behind Applejack and see that the object she held was now on the ground with smoke trailing out of the metal end. Needing to know where the wolf had gone, Applebloom pulled away from her sister and looked to her left. Applejack tried to pull her head away, but found herself too weak to stand any longer. She kneeled to the ground.
Applebloom looked at the wolf that lay a yard away from them. It's eyes were open, looking at nothing with it's muzzle still in an endless snarl. Part of the beasts head was missing, and the fur around it was matted in dark blood. She couldn't tear her eyes away, though heaven knows she wanted to. What pulled her out of the hypnotic sight was the sound of her sister's exhausted voice.
"Applebloom, don't look at it."
Applebloom tore her head away and looked back at her sister. Applejack looked unsteady and pale. The sight of her sister bent low scared her almost as much as the wolf did when she first saw it. Without another word, Applebloom rushed back to Applejack and nudged herself under one side.
"Get up sis'." Applebloom croaked, her throat dry. She swallowed hard and pushed with all her strength. Applejack groaned in pain, but was able to get off the ground and onto her unsteady hooves. Applebloom kept pushing against Applejack to try and keep her sister on her hooves. She made her way with Applejack towards the ramp of the clubhouse step after shaky step at a time.
Forever passed in the young filly's mind as they made their way up the ramp and into the door of the clubhouse. Applejack stumbled onto one of the cushions that was on the floor and lay there while Applebloom ran to a corner hurriedly throwing items around looking for something specific. She found what she was looking for. Biting on a white metal box that was adorned with a heart in the foreground of a red cross, Applebloom hurried back to her sister who lay still on the cushion. Applebloom flipped the lid open and took out a roll of gauze. Applejack said little but emitted the occasional grunt of pain as Applebloom tightly wound the gauze around the gash in Applejack's side. The bleeding had lessened, and the blood had already begun to clot along the wound, but it still soaked into the gauze as the filly tried her best to pull it around her sister's body. After using the last of the gauze, Applebloom pushed herself onto Applejack's side onto the wound, putting pressure on it.
Despite her pain, Applejack let out a chuckle. "Seems that all those times... patching up Scootaloo... taught ya somethin'."
"Don't talk, Applejack, you've got to save your strength." implored Applebloom, pushing tighter on the wound. Applejack lifted her head and placed it around Applejack. "It's alright Applebloom. I'll be fine now thanks ta you." Applejack smiled and nuzzled her little sister.
The two laid in silence for a while in the cold night. A chill started to settle in, causing Applebloom to remove herself from Applejack and grab one of the blankets she threw aside while searching for he first-aid kit. She brought it back to Applejack, rejoining her previous spot while pulling up a blanket onto her sister and herself. Moments later, Applebloom could hear the familiar breathing of a sleeping Applejack, and was comforted by the breathing and the feeling of her heartbeat as she laid next to her.
But the filly couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the wolf's staring back at her. When a cricket would chirp through the night, she expected the sound of thunder to rocket through her ears once again. There was once during the night where she started to drift off, but a growl sent through her mind shocked her awake. Applejack woke with a groan, but silenced it when she felt the shivers of the filly against her body. Applebloom was shaking but it was not from the cold; her eyes were fixed on the clubhouse entrance.
Applejack wrapped a leg around her sister, but that did little to silence the mind of the youth.
"Wha... what was that thing?" Applebloom asked, surprised at how her voice broke the silence. "Was it one of those timber wolfs that Granny talks about in her stories?" She continued.
"No." Replied the elder sister. "That was a wolf from deep in the Everfree. They don't usually come out from their home, but this one was hungry enough to look fer food."
"But why couldn' he just eat a flower? He couldn've had some apples, Granny wouldn't ah minded."
"Applebloom, they cant eat flowers."
"Then what do they-" Applebloom stopped mid sentence when she closed her eyes. She saw the sharp teeth of the wolf, and the muzle that held them dripping saliva like Rainbow Dash when eyeing a glass of cider. She knew then what the wolf would have eaten. She fearfully kept her gaze locked on the entrance to the clubhouse and spoke to Applejack in a panicked tone.
"It's going to get up soon, sis. It's just laying down right now, it's going to get up and come get us."
Applejack held her sister tighter against her side, ignoring the stab of pain the pressure brought to the wound. "No it ain't Applebloom, its gone now."
"But Applejack, it's right there, I saw it."
"No, it's dead. It can't come back."
"Dead...?" Applebloom closed her eyes again and saw the wolf lying just a few feet away from her, fur around it's head matted in blood. It didn't move, it didn't breathe. She kept her mind active, trying to understand exactly what happened.
"Applejack, you hurt it, and..." She remembered her sister's pale face and fleeding side. She buried her face into her sister's side and cried saying, "Applejack, you're hurt. You're..." Applejack nuzzled the back of the filly's head and spoke reassuring words to her once again.
"I'm fine thanks ta you, Applebloom. You patched me up; I'm not going anywhere."
Applebloom looked up at Applejack with tear-stained orange eyes. Applejack had to choke back a few tears of her own when she saw that Applebloom's face had dried blood across it that was not her own. She wished that the filly stayed home and did as she told. Wished she had not followed her into the woods and ran into the clearing.
Wished she didn't have to end that creature's life with a gun in front of her little sister who was still so young.
The next question that the filly asked took Applejack by surprise.
"But, what's different? It's still out there, but you're tellin' me it's not. You hurt it, then it's gone."
Applejack became quiet. Saying that it was just dead would prove to be no answer to the filly's attempt to understand. She found herself without a straight answer, instead she used one that Big Mac would use.
"Applebloom... Some ponies believe that there is a soul inside us all, an invisible ghost that is all of who we are. They believe that when our body is too hurt, the spirit goes away. Your brother thinks so."
Applebloom was quiet as she thought about what her sister had said. She no long heard the growl of the wolf over the sound of her elder sister's heartbeat, nor did she shiver in the loving embrace. The night was still cool, and the moon shown it's light through the window onto the two that layed down under it's full illumination. Applejack was tired, and felt herself being lulled to sleep by the warmth and the comfort, but once again being roused by the filly's unending questions.
"But, where does that go, sis?" Applebloom's voice was getting softer, Applejack could tell that the filly would be asleep before too long. She wracked her brain to try and find an answer, only to find that the only one she knew was one he heard before.
"They go to a place where they can be happy. Where families can be together forever, if they are good."
"But what if they're bad?"
"It's late, Applebloom, and it's too dangerous to go home right now. You need to get some rest." She deflected, the question being more than what Applejack wanted to explain to the young filly.
Applejack could feel the filly curl up and rest her head once again against her side. Applejack closed her eyes and tried to let herself fall to a much needed rest. She wanted to be strong enough to walk out of the farm and back to the house, and thought it best to sleep until daylight in case there were other dangers around the farm.
"Mom and Pa. They're dead, aren't they?"
Applejack's heart skipped a beat at the filly's question. "They- They just went away for a while, they..."
Applejack trailed off with the lie stuck in her throat. It was a story they had all told the filly, it had been the same story told to Applejack till she found out the truth in stone grey herself. She could barely remember their faces and would have forgotten entirely if not for that one photograph in the hallway.
A photograph both of the sister's would make a point to turn their heads when passing.
Applebloom noticed the silence in her sister, and accepted it as an answer, yet she shed no new tears.
"What was Pa like?"
Applejack thought back to the times she could remember. Her father was one who helped establish this farm to it's strong productive center, Everypony respected him.
Applejack touched her face, rubbing her cheek as another memory surfaced. "He was a strong, hard working pony, lot like Big Mac. He loved his work and never wanted it to end. He's spend long days on the farm and sometimes work through the night. He'd come home and do his best not to wake Ma who would fall asleep waitin' for him to come home."
A memory of smell came over her thoughts. A sickeningly sweet smell that came off her father's breath. Then the shouting that would wake her in the middle of the night when he had failed to get past when he had stepped on that creaky floorboard in the hallway.
"Sounds alot like you." Applebloom yawned, "You work really hard sometimes Applejack. What about ma?"
"Well, you actually take after your mother, Applebloom. She was sweet, carin' and loved everypony, and everypony loved her. She would tuck you in and sing us a lullaby every single night."
"You miss her, dontcha?"
Applejack quietly nodded her head. "I wish I could still see them, I miss ma."
"But that's okay, because we'll see them again. Then we'll be happy together. Don'tcha think so?"
Applejack did something that went against her vary nature, but could find no solace in the other option. The filly deserved more than the truth.
"Yes, Applebloom." Applejack lied.
Applebloom grew quiet, and Applejack could hear steady breathing coming from the filly, but as hard as she could try, Applejack couldn't join her sister as quiet sobs ran through her body, tears dropping on the filly's face, washing away some of the blood.
Songs sung by birds that have risen in the morning twilight preluded the rising sun. Light spilled on the clubhouse midst the trees and through the window. The filly stirred from the light that shown upon her face, and she was gently nudged awake by her sister. Without a word, they both stood up and walked towards the clubhouse door. Applejack proved to be a little unsteady on her hooves, but Applebloom walked close to her sister, and supported her as they went.
They went past the grounds where the evidence of last night's event was still present. Applejack pushed her sister ahead, and did her best to keep her from seeing more of the wolf's remains. She would go back later with Big Macintosh and burn the remains so no other predator would come to claim it. They would take the ashes back to be spread across the Everfree, they had no place among the apple trees.
The trail was easy enough to follow, the mud having been mostly dried at this point, but the progress was slow as Applejack trudged carefully on. Applejack didn't mind the progress, but staid faithfully by her sister every step of the way.
They reached the house past the treeline to see Granny Smith, a light green mare with a wizened figure, sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair, eyes never leaving the trail ahead. The moment she saw the two lost Apples, she gave a shout, crying out Big Macintosh's name. Moments later, a larger than life stallion rounded the corner and quickly made his way to his wounded sister's side. Applejack didn't complain when her brother kneeled under her and gently lifted her up on his strong back. Applebloom trailed behind them as Big Mac quickly made his way inside the house.
Granny smith was at Applejack's side as Big Mac laid her on one of the couches inside. She quickly turned and ordered Applebloom to go up and grab their first -aid kit from the upstairs bathroom. Applebloom wasted no time in hurrying up the same stairs that she had snuck down the night before. She turned to one of the rooms in the hallway and opened the door to the bathroom there. She grabbed a stool from behind the door after closing it and set it up next to a cabinet so she could climb and get the kit from inside it.
Applebloom grabbed the large box and closed the cabinet, but stopped. The other side of the cabinet door was mirrored and she could see the blood that dried in rivulets down her face. She hesitated a moment, then turned on the sink below the cabinet to the warmest water she could stand. She washed her face in the water till all evidence of last night was nothing more than a memory to her. She looked back at her pure orange eyes and the wet hide to see a clean filly. Like nothing ever had happened.
She heard Granny Smith call for her to hurry. The filly quickly ran by the door and down the hall towards the stairs, but she stopped once again.
She looked at the wall and to one of the pictures that adorned it. There were pictures of her and Applejack at the Sisterhooves Social. There were also some of Granny Smith in her younger years. Another that was a favorite was one of Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Applebloom in a valley far from Ponyville. Each were soaked by the rain that poured down that day, but the smiles on their face showed anything but misery.
The last that she looked at, she had always avoided before.It showed of a large and rough looking Stallion with a stern look on his face, but was contrasted by a mare who interlocked a hoof with his, who also had the brightest of smiles and eyes that always reminded Applebloom of her sister.
Applebloom lingered her gaze on the picture, and smiled before being called again by Granny. She lingered a moment longer to look at the picture, then she sped down the stairs and to her family's side as they nursed the wounded mare back to health.
Miles away from the farmhouse, bordering the ever free is a lone grassy knoll that gives rise to an ancient oak tree that extends to the sky as if to make war. The wood is gnarled and darkened with age and as a testament to it's battle with the elements. The clouds that adorned the skys over the Everfree were turning a deep orange as the sun began to set behind the horizon thereof. Approaching the knoll was a figure that reflected the same color to the sky as it made it's way purposefully towards the oak.
Applejack limped up the slight incline with some exertion, her wounds having yet to heal from her encounter with the wolf. She reached the base of the tree and took a moment to catch her breath before reaching up with a hoof and brushing away dried leaves and breaking apart grown branches that covered a small hollow that would easily go unnoticed by any passer by. Applejack's hooves rubbed against stone as she cleared away the dirt and debris from the etchings that were wrought in the stone.
"Envy and Johnathan Apple. Wedded mare and Colt who have left behind a legacy."
The oak had been planted on the top of the knoll generations before and served as a memorial for Apple family members long past. Applejack had stumbled upon the monument early in her youth and felt her hopes shatter upon reading the names engraved upon the grey. It was here where she stood again to look at the stone, then dropped onto her haunches. in a moment of silence. She took off her hat which she recovered from the grounds of the clubhouse where it had fallen when the wolf had attacked and set it on the ground next to her. Applejack hung her head before speaking.
"Ma, Pa. Wanted to let you know that the farms doin' alright. Granny is doing well for herself, though she's getting more on in years. Big Mac is as strong as you said he'd be, Pa. I'm sure he'd give your reputation a run for it's money..."
Applejack paused a moment and looked to the ground before speaking again. "I almost lost her.See Pa, there was a wolf in the farm, and I couldn't let it get out to hurt nopony, so I took your old rifle and went after it. Thing still roars like a manticore and bucks harder than a mule. Went after the wolf after scarin' it away with a shot, but the dang jthing was smarter than I knowed. Got the drop on me and knocked me near senseless and left me with a nasty cut. Had it in my sights when Applebloom showed up behind me. Gun woke her up and she was worried enough to disobey her granny, brother and I by sneaking out and followin' me in. Wolf caught scent of her an-"
Applejack's steady tone faltered and her voice broke. She averted her eyes from the headstone. "I almost lost her. Ma, I almost broke my promise. WI got off a shot jus' in time, but it was so close... too close..." Tears came to Applejack's eyes as she continued to speak. "Was weaker than a filly, Pa. You'd be proud of her, she's strong for her age. Showed it just fine after she took me and help keep me from bleedin' out. What kind of daugther would I be ah yours to not be able to fight off one everfree wolf. Probably tell me about how mah brother could'a done it better. Just a scared little filly, not able to appreciate the life of an Apple."
"Turned out, you were right. I had nough of this place and left to live with auntie Orange. I was weak then, just like ya said. Couldn't even stand by my choice and left auntie ta come home. Came home and found you and Ma had gone. Last I stood here, I promised ya I would be strong Pa, but it seems no matter how hard I try I can't keep myself from fallin'. Applebloom would make ya darn proud, prouder than I've ever made ya."
Applejack was gritting her teeth and pulling her eyes shut to fight off the tears. The wind picked up and started to blow the leaves of the trees ripping those with weak stems from the branches, sending them in a flurry back. The wind also picked up her hat and sent it sailing behind her, but she had not noticed, oblivious to everything around her.
She did look up when she felt something softly touch her head. Applejack opened her eyes and saw her hat had been returned to her. She turned her head to look behind her to find a little yellow filly who's red mane was tied in a contrasting red bow. There were also a tangle of leaves stuck in the strands. Bright amber-orange eyes staring at her.
Applejack sniffed and wiped her face with a foreleg, saying nothing as the filly stepped up and wrapped her forehooves around the mare's neck."It's alright Applejack. It's okay."
The filly let her sister go and looked on at the carved stone in grey. She woalked up and put a hoof on it like her sister had earlier, feeling the rough etchings that made up the names of her long past caretakers. She looked back at Applejack with a concerned expression. "I... I overheard what you were sayin'. Pa didn't talk very nice to ya, did he?"
Applejack once again dried her eyes an pulled down her hat to better fit her head. "He used to come home drunk and angry and he would say a bunch of things that he'd not mean after he sobered. The Stallion would shout at Ma and get her sad an' angry, an' I'd wake up an' hear em. One time he caught me cryin' and said I was a weak little filly."
Applejack pulled her hat lower over her face. "He was right. Pa could tell that about Ponys. Before you think ill of him Applebloom, I wan' ya to know he was gettin help. He stopped comin home angry and Ma was happy, but I couldn stay an' I left to be with Auntie and Uncle Orange down in Manehatten. It was before ya were born, Applebloom. Ma had ya while I was gone. I came back because I didn' want to stay anymore and found that Ma and Pa had passed together. Pa turned out right again because I couldn't stop from crying, I could-"
Applebloom put a hoof on her sister's mouth. "Stop it, Applejack." She chastised. "I'm alive thanks to you. You fought off a wolf to keep it away from anyone else, you keep this farm running all by yourself. You help Granny when she gets sick, and aint nopony that would say one bad thing bout you on account of ya being honest with them. Whole town would defend ya against anypony that would call you a liar. You care for other ponys same as you said Ma did."
Applejack let her sister's words wash over her. The filly's sincere words penetrated deep into her core as she let herself listen to the truth. Applejack stood up without a word and embraced her little sister in a tight embrace with a forehoof. "Thanks Applebloom." She said into the filly's mane. "I needed to hear that."
Applejack broke the embraced and looked down at the filly. Applebloom's face was beaming brighter than the sun with a smile that would melt Nightmare Moon's heart. Applejack took off her hat and planted it on the filly's head. They both giggled as the hat sunk down over her eyes, it being several sizes too big for her.
"Let's get home, Granny's probably worried about us." said Applejack, pushing the brim of her hat up so she could see her sister's face. Applebloom nodded energetically and started to follow her sister as she walked away, but stopped a moment and turned around to look once again at the stone in grey. She ran over and quickly bit down on the bow tied around her mane. She took the bow and quickly tied it on an overhanging branch above the stone. Applebloom finished and took a step back to admire her work.
Applejack stood a ways away looking on at Applebloom. The filly turned around, and Applejack waved her over. Applebloom earnestly trotted to rejoin her sister in their return walk home. The ribbon was tied around the tree, blowing in the wind behind them. The wind caught the gravestone and blew away some of the dirt and grime that Applejack had first missed when she attempted to clean off the words. Words she had long forgotten.
"Who have left behind a proud legacy of a son and two daughters who will forever remain strong."
