//------------------------------// // A Dream Within A Gem (Rewrite P5) // Story: Unforgiven // by There Is Nothing Here //------------------------------// That night my thoughts raced as I lay in bed. I couldn't stop thinking about my dear lost friend, she couldn't forgive me now. Somehow I drifted off to sleep. There was darkness, only darkness, than a blurred flash. An orange light, I opened my eyes more, Applejack? No, it wasn't her. I was at Sweet Apple Acres, I didn't know how but I didn't question it. I looked around, a burning tree off in the distance. I raced towards it, my hooves made no noise. I saw Applejack in a clearing trying to put out the fire on a tree. Big Macintosh had joined her racing back and forth. "APPLEJACK!" I called, I had to help her, she was alive...somehow. WHOOSH! Fire blocked my path. I looked over it and saw a tree had fallen between Big Mac and Applejack. No, I thought. I watched as tears welled up in the big colts eyes as he raced home. Applejack was trapped, they both knew it, and so did I. But she didn't panic she didn't freak out, she merely sat down and closed her eyes. "I'm comin' ma an' pa" she said. BAM! A tree came crashing down and landed on the brown earth pony. "APPLEJAAAAACK!" I screamed. I couldn't do anything, I now saw how she died, it was the day I told her I didn't want to be her friend. I cried knowing that I was the one who caused her death. Not only had I not said I was sorry I was also responsible for her dying. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up with tears in my eyes, I was astonished to see Applejack, unscathed, unburned, and... happy, standing next to me smiling. "Applejack?" I said confused, "What are you... but" I looked aver to the fallen tree, "You.. your-" I stuttered she merely nodded. "I'm so sorry Applejack, I didn't mean any of the things I said." I wept out through my tears. I could tell her now. She placed a hoof around my neck and squeezed tight, "I know sugar cube." she said to me, I broke out now all out bawling. "Ya'll was just mad that's all" she said looking me in the eyes. "Ah forgive ya" I smiled now. "I just have one thing I need ya ta do fer me OK?" she said. I nodded, "Anything." She placed her item in my hoof, I looked up at her in confusion, "But what do I with-" "Ya'll understand when ya wake up sugarcube." she told me "I gotta go now muh folks are waitin' fer me." she waved goodbye as she joined two other farmer ponies. A bright white light erupted in front of them and... My eyes shot open, it was morning. I lifted myself and felt something fall into my lap, I looked down and smiled. I had a little work to do. "Hiya sis," Sweetie Belle said entering the room, "Ready to start the day?" I ruffled my little sisters mane, she giggled, "I need your help Sweetie, OK?" Her mouth erupted into an ear to ear smile. A few hours later we were done, we met the Apple Family at their farm. "What's all the fuss about?" Granny Smith asked. "Well," I began, I looked around at my friends who'd I'd also asked to come, "last night, I had a dream." I told them. "What kinda dream?" Apple Bloom asked. "It was about your sister," I told her, "she wanted you to have this." I told Apple Bloom passing the burlap bag down the table. I could see the tears welling up in the young fillies eyes, one last present from her big sister. She opened it, every pony at the table gasped. It was Applejack's Element of Harmony. Well the gem at least, I had to fashion a new necklace. She looked up and jumped into my hooves. "Thank you Rarity." I petted the dismayed little filly. "Your welcome sweet heart." I told her. The Element of Honest had to be passed on to some pony she trusted with her whole heart. And who else was that except for her sister Apple Bloom. At that moment we saw Apple Blooms flank sparkling, the same cutie mark Apple Jack once bore was now hers. Tears welled up in all of our eyes as we remembered our dear friend. I looked out into the charred field. It had once harbored thousands of apple trees, but now only one stood tall. I smiled as I saw the heart carved into the trunk with two initials inside of it. I smiled as I saw an apple fall from it all by itself, it rolled the short distance over and tapped my hoof. I was forgiven.