Tears for The Fallen Apple
By: Dableaxcheaz
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One evening on Sweet Apple Acres, Applebloom was waiting anxiously for her family to return. She couldn't wait to show how responsible she was while she was alone, especially her big sister Applejack. Applejack was worried at the thought at first. She wasn't certain if her little sister could manage all the chores all on her own. Applejack eventually shook off the thought and went on with her delivery.
Applebloom was staring out into the open through her bedroom window. After many hours of waiting patiently, she saw something coming from the sunset. It looked like a horse drawn cab followed by a horse drawn pie cart, it was Granny Smith and Big Macintosh. In a burst of excitement, Applebloom raced out of her room, down the stairs, and out the front door where the two horses were pulling in.
"Big Macintosh, Granny Smith!" said Applebloom with glee,"ya made it back in one piece."
"Eeyup," replied Big Mac,"of coarse we're all right,why the hay wouldn't we?" He made his way to the barn with the cart, and began to pack it away. Meanwhile Granny Smith got all of her bags off the cab. She turned to the farm house and said,"looks like ye managed all the chores all by yer self. I bet my lucky stars that Applejack must be real proud of ya."
"She hasn't returned yet." replied Applebloom. Granny Smith's smile began to disappear.
"Wh-what do ya mean?" questioned the old mare,"she shoulda been home hours ago."
Big Mac approached the two,"Wheres Applejack?"
"We don't know," cried Granny Smith,"Applebloom told me that she hasn't returned yet."
"She hasn't!?" replied Big Mac with a worried tone. He turned his head to the Scarlet sun set and stared into it. He then said,"This doesn't make sense. She has done the same delivery three years in a row, and she returns here hours before us." A terrible thought then hits him and he turns back to the group with a face of urgency. "Applebloom, go get Twilight!"
With no time to waste, the filly dashed off. She ran as quickly as she could to ponyville and told Twilight about Applejack. The news concerned Twilight. She then gathered the four of her friends and they ran off back to Sweet Apple Acres.
Big Mac awaited the return of Applebloom on the front porch. He then spotted her and a group of ponies following her, running up to the house.
"Thank goodness yall came here," sighed Big Mac in relief.
"We came here as quick as we could," Twilight replied gasping for breath,"now, do you know where Applejack might be?"
Granny Smith came up from behind and said "We sent her on a pie delivery at high noon. The route she takes goes through a fire geyser swamp, home of the ravenous chimera."
"Chimeras?" shrieked Fluttershy,"Oh no, Applejack IS in mortal danger."
Big Mac then said "There's no time to waste, I recon you five form a search party .We'v got everything ya need inside, follow me." They followed him inside and they began to pack for the trip. Everypony was packed with food, water, a lantern, and a map. In half an hour, they were prepared and lined up outside the door.
Applebloom nudged herself against Big Mac,"I'm going too!" she said with a stubborn tone.
Big Mac frowned at her "No ya ain't, I don't want ya to get lost in a fire swamp like ya sister."
"He's right," followed Granny Smith,"why don't ya scoot on up to bed, ya had a long day today." Applebloom moaned and walked straight to bed.
"Alright then," said Twilight,"We must be heading off now."
"Be careful," said Big Mac. The ponies walked off until they were finally out of sight.
Granny Smith turned to Big Mac and said "They will find her, right?"
Big Mac sighed,"Let's pray to Celestia they will."
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The next morning, when a thick fog rolled in, there was a loud knocking at the door. Big Mac and Granny Smith woke up and walked over to answer it. They were nervous at what it could be. Was it Applejack? Or was it Twilight and the search party to tell them the bad news?
Big Mac slowly opened the door seeing that it was Twilight and nopony else. She didn't appear to smile.
"Well?" asked Big Mac,"did you find her?" Twilight turned her head towards the morning fog. A pie cart being pulled by Pinkie pie and Rarity followed by Rainbowdash and Fluttershy, emerged from it. They were all frowning in sadness.
Big Mac strolled on over to the cart. As he got closer, he could see that the cart was covered in claw marks, along with a gaping hole in it. Big Mac wanted to deny what was being hauled in it, but couldn't. He looked into the hole and began to tear up at the sight. Inside the cart, was the corpse of Applejack, along with her hat.
Her corpse had a wide hole in her chest, which ran from her neck to her hind legs. It appeared that all the guts, and muscles have been ripped out. Her pelt and mane were covered in sticks and mud, and her open eyes showed that the light has truly left them. Big Mac placed his hooves on her eyes, closed them, and placed her hat over her face.
Twilight walked up behind Big Mac and said with tears forming in her eyes,"I'm sorry Big Mac," she began to cry,"I'm sorry!"
The other four ponies plus Granny Smith began to cry with her.
A flame of anger began to form inside Big Mac. He muttered "Who did this?" Twilight walked up and showed Big Mac a giant tooth,"The chimera," said the stallion. He walked up to a stack of barrels, and bucked it, screaming in a fit of rage. He walked up to a tool rack, and bucked it, spilling the tools all over the ground.
Twilight quickly ran up to him and said,"Big Mac, Stop! Think of the example your setting for Applebloom!" Big Mac ceased his rage, and noticed that Applebloom was standing next to Granny Smith sleepy eyed.
"Big Mac?" she asked,"Why are you upset?" The red stallion sat on the ground, dug his face in his hooves, and began to cry. Applebloom became puzzled, she asked,"Where's Applejack?" Granny Smith put her hoof around her shoulder. She looked at the filly's eyes, then hung her head closing her eyes.
She looked at the rummaged pie cart and back to Granny Smith. She then muttered,"No." She ran to the cart and she as well began to form tears. She jumped into the cart and saw the dead body. She hugged the deceased mare's head, and cried,"Applejack no." Twilight and her friends watched the bawling filly cry her heart out.
Granny Smith came up from behind, and picked Applebloom up with her mouth. Applebloom yelled,"What are ya doin? Put me down!" She struggled in the old mare's mouth as she was being taken back inside. As the door closed behind her, Applebloom yelled,"Applejack, APPLEJACK!!!"
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It was a sad day for the Apple family. Applebloom went to her room to cry for her sister to come back. Big Macintosh resorted to drinking full bottles of vodka. He cried about how it should have been him instead of his sister, and vowed revenge (even though he was against it when he was sober.) Granny smith sent letters to all the Apples of Equestria, telling them about the fate of Applejack.
Twilight notified the mayor, Celestia, and all the ponies of Ponyvill. Applejack's remains and hat, were sent to the morgue, to be put in a casket and to be buried.
The next day, an overcast of grey clouds shrouded ponyvill. Everypony attended the funeral, as well as all the apples in Equestria (Except Big Mac who had a nasty hangover.) At the service, everypony dressed in black and gathered around the casket. Applebloom was comforted by Sweetiebell and Scootaloo, and Babs Seed.
Celestia walked up to the casket and gave her speech,"Today, we are gathered here in memory of a good friend, and a great hero. We will never forget the deeds she has done for us in the past. She had the element of honesty, and she will always." She walked off to the side.
The casket was then lowered, buried, and Applejack was now in a better place. No pony smiled that day.
Through out the rest of the day, the Apples continued to mourn. Applebloom was no longer crying tear, but Babs wanted to spend the night and comfort her. Big Mac managed to recover from his hangover, but he still wanted to drink his heart out.
Granny Smith walked up to Big Mac's room right when he had the bottle in his mouth. She looked at him and said,"Now Big Mac, ya just can't drink all of ya problems away."
Big Mac took the bottle from his lips,"I know, I know."
Granny Smith walked up to Big Mac and said,"look, I miss Applejack as much as you do, but we need to move on. We're Apples, we need to stay together and do the best we can. Ain't that right?" Big Mac nodded,"now, I need ya to go upstairs and comfort Applebloom, things are gonna get pretty lonely for her. Her friends won't always be there for her, and she needs to know that ya support her 100%."
Big Mac began to smile a little."Now promise me that you'll stop with the drinking."
Big Mac gave an,"Eyup," and got on his hooves. As he walked to the door. Babs came in breathing heavily.
"Big Mac," she said,"Applebloom is gone, she ran out of the house with a kitchen knife."
"Oh my stars!" Granny Smith yelled, "She must have gone to the swamp to kill the chimera!"
Big Mac added,"and ya didn't stop her?!"
Babs cried out, "I tried, but she got away, I'm sorry Big Mac."
Big Mac then said," That chimera ain't pickin another apple from this tree." He grabbed a bottle of vodka and ran out the front door. Granny Smith and Babs ran to the porch.
Granny Smith yelled out,"Big Mac, ya promised!!"
Big Mac still running, not looking back, and with the bottle in his mouth said,"This ain't for drinkin!!" He continued on towards
the fire swamp until he was out of sight.
Meanwhile, Applebloom a already a few yards into the swamp. She had the kitchen knife tight in her mouth. She wandered around, searching high and low for the chimera. She then heard a growling noise and stopped in her tracks. She was then suddenly grabbed by what felt like a slimy green vine, but it was a snake.
It lifted the filly up in the air, dropping the knife on the ground. Then she saw it with her own eyes, the chimera. It had the head of a tiger and a goat, legs of a tiger and goat, and the tail of a snake. Applebloom then, noticed that the tiger head was missing a saber tooth, it must be the chimera that killed Applejack.
"Say sisters," said the tiger head,"This filly smells familiar."
"Yeeeaaah," said the goat head," like the one mare that we killed."Applebloom was filled with terror.
"Ssshe made a tasty dinner," said the snake,"maybe she was her sissster."
"After many years, we decided to surprise her." growled the tiger,"She was delicious."
"She screamed REEAAL good before she died." added the goat. The snake began to constrict Applebloom. She felt like her own life was leaving her.
The snake hissed, "Well sissssters, it's time have ourselves sssome filly ssssouffle."
In that very moment, Big Mac ran in out of nowhere and said," Ya ain't takin that filly!" He threw the bottle of vodka at the tiger, shattering into pieces, and covering the beast in alcohol.
"Is that your best?" asked the tiger. Then out of nowhere, a flame popped out of the ground igniting the vodka. Applebloom, with a little life left, was released from the snake, wwhile the three sisters screamed in pain as the fire burned them away.
Big Mac picked up Applebloom while she was trying to breathe normally and darted straight out of the swamp. Unfortunately, the chimera never doused the flames.
Soon, Applebloom and Big Mac made it out of the swamp. Big Mac put Applebloom on the ground and said,"Applebloom, what were ya thinkin, you were almost killed by the chimera."
Applebloom dug her face into Big Mac's pelt. She cried," I'm sorry Big Mac, you were always sayin that ya wanted to kill that beast, fer Applejack."
Big Mac immediately came to a realization. He remembered saying that he wanted revenge while he was drunk. He wrapped his hoof around Applebloom and said,"Look, I'm not mad, I know what I said, but we need to move on." Applebloom pulled her head out all teary eyed."And besides, what good would killing the chimera do? It's not gonna bring Applejack back, I'm sorry."
Applebloom hung her head and said,"Let's go home Big Mac."
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When they got home, Granny Smith and Babs gave the two a group hug. They were happy that they were still alive. Applebloom went to bed. She still missed Applejack, even though Big Mac told her to move on.
That night she had a dream. In the dream, she was in a field. She felt like sitting down and taking in the view of the clear sky. She felt a warmth touch her, it was Applejack.
Apple bloom was so happy, but she realized that she was in a dream. Applejack sat next to her and said,"Do ya miss me sis?"
Applebloom nodded. Then Applejack smiled removing her hat and said," Sis, let me tell ya somethin ma and pa told me. When we die, our souls stay bound to this earth, and as long as you remember me, I'll never leave you, ever."
"Really?" said Applebloom.
"Sure," said Applejack putting her hat on Applebloom's head. A wind began to stir."well, it's time for me to go now."
As she started to walk away, she turned and said,"Oh, by the way, I'm surprised that you managed the chores by yerself, it just comes to show that Sweet Apple Acres can live on without me." Applebloom began to smile and tear up,"Now promise me this."
Applebloom asked," What is it?"
Applejack smiled and said,"Take care of Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Sweet Apple Acres for me would ya?"
"I will," cried out the filly. Applejack continued on as the dream began to blur away. Applebloom yelled,"Tell ma and pa I said hi!!!" and the filly woke up.
Applebloom slowly woke opened her eyes and felt a draft coming through the window. She then noticed that there was something on her head, it was Applejack's hat.
-The End-
(Father forgive me for I have sinned. XP)