Rotten Apple

Chapter 2: Family Ties

Applejack was pacing through the house when Applebloom came home, bursting through the front door with her friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. As long as Rarity had managed to keep her mouth shut then none of them knew what was going on, but Applejack still cursed under her breath as the saw the three fillies run past her. She had only wanted to tell Applebloom, not her friends too. While Applejack thought about the consequences of telling all three of them about it at once they bounced into Applebloom's room, eager to find some weird way to finally get their cutie marks.

"Did you guys notice how sad everypony looked as we ran past them?" Scootaloo asked, talking about the girls that had left not that long ago after hearing the bad news.

"Yeah, I wonder what's bothering them..." Sweetie Belle trailed off as she tapped her chin with her hoof, waiting until an idea came to mind, "What if we tried to make them all happy again?"

"Like counselors?" Applebloom asked, raising an eyebrow at Sweetie as she did. Sweetie Belle nodded happily at Applebloom, and when Scootaloo did the same the three of them prepared to make their plans official, just as Applejack walked through the door.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders Counselors!" they all shouted, making Applejack cringe as they almost made her deaf too. Scootaloo was the first to notice that Applejack was in the room, and she quickly gave the other two a tap on the shoulder to let them know she was there as well. There was an awkward silence as none of them knew what to say, and instead they all ended up staring at one spot on the floor until Applejack finally spoke up.

"Applebloom, I have something important to tell you" Aplpejack said in a quiet voice, making Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo look at each other nervously before they got the hint and left the room. Once they were in the hallway Applejack closed the door and moved to sit on Applebloom's bed, patting the area next to her so Applebloom would be right next to her when she found out. Applebloom quickly hopped up onto the bed next to Applejack and looked up at her, her curiosity getting the best of her as she impatiently waited to hear what was going on. The two fillies that were outside pressed their faces up against the door, just as interested in this as Applebloom was.

"Applebloom, do you know how a pony can get really sick sometimes?" Applejack asked, looking down sadly at Applebloom, who nodded at her, "Do you know what the worse sickness is?"

"Uh... a broken heart?" Applebloom replied honestly, having been listening to Mrs Cheerilee a bit too much.

"No, that's only what Mrs Cheerilee says" Applejack said with a smile before she looked down at her hooves, the big moment having finally arrived, "Applebloom, when I was at the doctor's today, I was told that I have cancer..." Applejack choked on her words, feeling the impact of Applebloom's shocked face, but what made it worse was the sound of the door slamming open as Scootaloo ran towards Applejack, jumping at her so she could hug her.

"No no no! Please don't have cancer, please!" Scootaloo begged as she held on tight to Applejack's neck, "Please, why did you have to get it?!" Applejack wasn't surprised that they had been listening in, but Scootaloo's reaction confused her, but only for a little while. Applejack was suddenly reminded of Scootaloo's mother, Firefly, who had come to Ponyville with her and her husband, Tex, after she was diagnosed with wing cancer. Scootaloo was only a few years old when Firefly passed, but she still remembered it, as Applejack could tell by her crying into her chest, silently asking for her to be joking and not be dying.

"Are you going to die sis?" Applebloom asked as tears welled up in her eyes, Scootaloo's reaction having made her realize what Applejack meant.

"I don't know Applebloom, I don't know..." Applejack said, soon being rushed by Applebloom as she started to cry, wanting nothing more than to latch onto her sister and never let go. Applejack looked towards the doorway just in time to see Sweetie Belle jump at her as well, grabbing onto her other side, crying just as hard as Applebloom and Scootaloo were. None of them wanted her to go, and because Scootaloo knew how dangerous it was they were all afraid that if they let go Applejack would just disappear forever. After what seemed like hours the fillies let go, allowing Applejack the chance to get up and leave them to do whatever they wanted. Applejack stayed outside the room for a few minutes after shutting the door, hoping they would return to playing around, but they never did.

"What's going on sis?" Big Mac asked from behind Applejack, causing her to tense up.

"N-nothing" Applejack suttered, having been startled by Big Mac's sudden appearance, "I just told Applebloom about it..."

"How did she take it?" Big Mac asked as he glanced worriedly at Applebloom's door, the silence coming from it was deafening.

"She cried, a lot, and didn't want to let me go, same with her friends" Applejack said, feeling her own tears starting to well up her eyes. Big Mac let out a quiet sigh before moving forwards to hug Applejack, breaking down the dam in the process, her tears now flowing freely down her face and onto his shoulder. The two of them stayed like that until her face and his shoulder were completely soaked, breaking apart only so Applejack could go help Granny make dinner while Big Mac talked to Applebloom and her friends about what happened.

As Applejack prepared some apples for Granny's apple stew she saw Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle leave, being escorted by Big Mac, but that didn't stop them from giving Applejack looks that could break anypony's heart. They seemed like their world was completely crushed, Scootaloo probably having told them everything she knew about cancer. Applebloom came down the stairs behind them and waved goodbye before taking a seat on the couch, just staring at the floor until Granny called her for dinner an hour later.

Once they had all eaten their dinner Applebloom ran off to her room, silently shutting her door before she shoved her face into her pillows so she could cry, her muffled sobs being just loud enough to be heard in the hallfway, making Applejack's heart break even more than it already had. Before going to bed herself Applejack turned to Applebloom's room.

"I'm sorry..."