//------------------------------//
// Apple Family Lies 
// Story: Sad Short Stories 
// by Silver Moon 
//------------------------------//

	“Apple Bloom?! How’re them RSVPs comin’ along? Who’s showing their muzzle at the reunion?” Granny Smith called to her grandfilly. 
“EVERYPONY!” the over-excited crusader exclaimed as she threw all of her papers in the air.
“Everypony? Feathers on a goat. Are ya sure?” Granny asked, clearly shocked that so many of the Apple clan would make it to the reunion. 
“Well, not quite EVERYpony,” Apple Bloom said, looking downcast as she bent to pick up the scattered paper. 
“Well, then, who’s not comin’?” the eldest Apple asked.
“Everypony except…” the young filly trailed off, either unable or unwilling to finish.
“Except who, sugarcube?” Applejack asked her little sister, worry clouding her eyes.
“Everypony except, well…” the yellow coated Earth Pony trailed off again. This time, she swallowed loudly and finished, tears filling her eyes as she spoke, “except ma an’ pa.” Apple Bloom ducked her head in shame, not wanting her family to see her crying. Eyes closed, she did not see the looked pasted between the two family members that stood in the barn with her. 
“Hey there, sugarcube, don’t, don’t cry now,” AJ said in what she hoped was a comforting voice as she moved to comfort her sister. “Ah’m sure they’ll make it to the next one! You can see them then, alright?”
“But AJ, it just aint FAIR!” Apple Bloom cried out as she rejected the comforting hoof offered by her sister. “It just aint FAIR! Ah aint seen ma an’ pa since they had to go help our cousins in Fillydelphia when Ah was just a bitty baby! They couldn’t come to the last reunion cause ma was sick! An’ why is it we never go visit them? An’ why do they never visit us? Don’t they love us? Don’t they love me?” 
“Now just calm down Apple Bloom! Just calm down, please!” AJ’s pleas fell on deaf ears; the youngest Apple had collapsed onto the hard barn floor, crying too hard to breathe properly. The older two could only try to offer comfort as the young filly lay on the ground, years and years of abandonment collapsing upon her. It did not take long for her to cry herself to sleep, but it seemed like years to Granny and AJ. Once they were sure the filly was asleep, they called Big Mac to carry her to bed. 

They sat in the kitchen, gathered around the table. Silence was deafening as the three oldest Ponyville Apples tried to find the words to speak. It was AJ who finally shattered the silence with four simple words.
“Ah guess it’s time.”
“Eeyup,” agreed the monosyllabic stallion while the eldest of them all nodded her head solemnly. 
“We knew this day would come,” Granny said sadly. “So, who’s gunna tell ‘er? Big Mac?”
“EeNOPE!” the large red pony replied with a stubborn shake of his red head. 
“Well, Ah can’t. Ah’m too old for this. Would break my old heart, it would.”
“Oh, like it won’t hurt me?” Applejack snapped. Then she let out a long sigh. “Sorry, ya’ll,” she said, hanging her head. “Ah just… Ah don’t even know. Yeah, Ah’ll tell ‘er. Tomorra. Ah’ll take ‘er for a walk and tell ‘er then.” The young mare sighed again. “Ah just wish… Ah wish there was no talk to have.”

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The next morning, the yellow filly was woken by her older sister. She looked groggily out the window, only to meet darkness; Luna’s moon still dominated the sky. 
“Aww, sis,” the filly protested as she turned to the dark shape in front of her, “why d’ya wake me up? Ah was havin’ this great dream about mah cutie mark.”
“Ah’m sorry,” replied Applejack honestly. “Ah truly am. But Ah wanna show ya somethin’ and we’re gunna wanna take our time.”
“Oh, ya going show me somethin’ then? Is it cool? Is it a present? What is it?” Apple Bloom was now wide awake, clearly eager to find out what she was going to see. “Ah can’t wait! Let’s get goin’!” With a large smile, the young pony leapt out of her bed and ran out the door. A few moments later, she sheepishly walked back into her bed room. Applejack laughed softly.
“Back so soon?” she teased gently.
“Yeah, Ah kinda dunno where we’re even goin’. Where are we goin’, again?”
“We’re goin’-” Applejack broke off suddenly. She raised a hoof and pulled her hat down over her eyes before finishing. 
“Ah’m gonna take you to ma an’ pa.”

It was not long later when AJ spoke again.
“Alright, sugarcube. We’re almost there. Now, I want ya to hop on mah back and close your eyes, alright?” she asked, turning to her sister. 
“Now why do Ah need to do that? Ah’m a big pony, Ah can walk on mah own!” Apple Bloom protested. She stamped her hooves in irritation at her sister. 
“Hey, no need to get feisty now,” the older Apple said. “Ah just think it’s… more… more…” She trailed off, trying to find the right word. She brightened up slightly when she found it. “Interestin’!” she cried triumphantly. She smiled at the filly, hoping she would fall for it. She did.
“OK!” Apple Bloom said as she jumped onto her sister’s back. “Hey, whatcha got your saddle bag for, anyway?” 
“Oh, that. Ah umm… packed us a picnic. In case you wanna stay a while. Now close yer eyes.” The orange mare waiting until she was certain that the filly had obeyed before walking on. 
“Are we there yet?”
“Not yet.”
“… Are we there yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“How about now?”
“Keep yer hat on, AB! Ah haven’t been walkin’ 5 minutes yet! Ah’ll let you know when we get there!”
“OK, OK. No need to get snippy,” the filly giggled. Applejack sighed. A few silent minutes went by before another word was spoken.
“We’re here,” AJ said as knelt down so her sister could get off. Apple Bloom clambered down and paused, looking around.
“AJ, why are we in the graveyard?” she asked, clearly confused. 
“Just, just come ‘ere, sis,” was the only reply the normally strong mare could choke out. The young filly obliged, but froze in shock at the sight that met her eyes. Two matching apple-shaped tombstones stood side by side in front of her, her parent’s names engraved into the cold, hard, unfeeling stone. 
“Wha’? When… How? Why, sis! These are marked,” Apple Bloom paused and did some quick mental math. “Over 8 years ago! What the?! This is a joke, AJ? This has to be a joke, right?” The filly started to cry, tears spilling out of her eyes like a burst dam. “Ma an’ pa can’t be dead! They just can’t!”
“Ah’m so sorry, sugarcube. Ah wanted ta tell you, Ah just didn’t know how. Ah-”
“YOU KNEW?!” the filly screamed in rage. “You knew, all this time? How could you not tell me? How could you?! How could you keep it from me, all these years, how could you LIE to me?!?!” Anger over through sadness and the filly lunged at her sister. The two had a one-sided fight as the elder only tried to block the kicks and punches, throwing none of her own. 
“Ah’m sorry!” AJ cried again, tears falling down. “Ah’m sorry, Ah wanted ta tell ya sooner, Ah did!”
“Then why didn’t you?! Why?” Apple Bloom suddenly collapsed on the hard ground, too hurt to try and fight. “Why?” she repeated. Without waiting for a reply, she turned and faced the stone that marked where her parents lay. 
“Ah, we, we thought you were too young. But, now Ah think, no, now I know that we were wrong. We shoulda told ya right away. Ah’m sorry. Ah- Ah get if ya don’t wanna talk, but Ah think you should know. Ah brought flowers, for you. So you can give them flowers,” the orange Earth Pony added unnecessarily. When her sister gave no reply, Applejack grasped the bouquet in her mouth and placed it beside her sister. There was still no response. The mare had no idea what to do, so she began rambling about everything and anything that came to her mind. Apple Bloom sat, seemingly oblivious to the words flowing like a river from behind her. Silently, the filly reached over and picked up the flowers. She stood up and stepped forward, placing the traditional offering between the graves. Still ignoring her sister, Apple Bloom sat with her head bowed in front of the apple-shaped stones. 
Eventually, Applejack would realize that there was no point in words and fall silent. 
Eventually, Apple Bloom would start to talk again.
Eventually, Apple Bloom would forgive her family for lying to her.  
But for now, the filly would sit in silence, pretending she was alone with her parents. 
For now, she would be dead to the world, like her parents lying under the earth in front of her.
For now, she would remain heartbroken.