Each hoof step felt harder than the last. Of all the things that could have ever happened to her, Apple Jack would have never dared to dream of this. Her insides lurched, no doubt due to the attempt to produce more tears. She was empty for now. Everything felt numb.
Her best friends trotted beside her, not saying anything. From the corners of her eyes, she noticed that they continued to switch their attentions from the trail of purple mist to her. In the center of this crazy whirlwind, at least Apple Jack could count on her friends.
An unexpected chuckle rumbled up through her throat. The girls had been with Apple Jack through the most unbelievable adventures. With them beside her, she braved a terrible legend and came out ahead. Nightmare Moon had frightened her as a filly, although she never wanted to admit it. Her parents told her Apples were strong and brave.
A year later, they stood up to Discord and managed to save the day again. During that whole ordeal, Apple Jack had a small piece of her soul stolen from her. In addition to being strong and brave, her parents taught her to be honest. When her honesty was taken… she was no better a pony than a Pear or a Banana. Granted, the Pears and Bananas were a good family of ponies, to be sure, but they weren’t Apples. When Twilight restored her back to the way she was supposed to be, it was like being able to hug her parents again.
The ache in her heart grew steadier. Despite her estimates of being completely drained of tears, a single droplet trailed down her cheek. What she wouldn’t give to hug them one more time.
The girls fought changelings, evil plants, and even the most terrible of foes together. Tirek had stolen her essence from her… and even without it, she managed to hold on to a piece of who she was. Friendship was the magic glue that saved Equestria… and Apple Jack had been a key component for that victory.
Would her parents be proud of her? Did they know all of the things she did? Did they know how much she loved and missed them?
Big Mac never talked about them or his feelings about them. Neither did Granny Smith. They both represented everything it meant to be an Apple. Would Apple Jack be able to be like that one day? Hell, she thought she was a good model of her family’s strength until she broke down like a heart broken youngster, weeping over a crush. What’s worse, her friends saw her break down.
Surely her parents would be disappointed.
Apple Jack’s head bowed a little lower as she ran. The sky had started to darken. The trees loomed over them, but at least they weren’t menacing like the Ever Free Forest. Apple Jack’s muscles strained, but she had been accustomed to hard labor and exhaustive work. A disheartening notion appeared in the depths of her mind.
She stopped and glanced back to her friends.
Each of them were haggard. Rainbow Dash had been in the best shape of all them aside from Apple Jack, and even the cyan pegasus looked winded. Twilight Sparkle’s chest heaved wildly, and her facial muscles appeared strained.
“W-why are w-we stopping?” Twilight gasped.
Apple Jack bucked herself inwardly. Here she was being so selfish, and she never once considered her friends. She winced as she moved to the side of the path.
“We should rest for the night and pick it up when Celestia raises the sun again.” Apple Jack moved toward some sticks and grabbed one of them in her mouth.
Rarity also looked quite weary, though not as worn out as Twilight Sparkle. “But what about your parents? We have to find them.”
Apple Jack dropped the stick and gave her friends a sideways glance. “Whoever took my parents’ remains has had them for several days now. There’d be no sense in showing up to take them back if we’re as worn out as a herd of cattle after a twenty two mile stampede. We should rest.”
Pinke Pie collapsed on the ground. “Thank Goodness. I was about to pass out.”
Apple Jack bent down to pick up another stick when Fluttershy placed her hoof on it. She gave Apple Jack a warm smile. Her voice cracked with tiredness.
She said “You sit back, we’ll worry about collecting the sticks and making a fire. You have a lot on your mind as it is.”
Apple Jack opened her mouth to refute her, but the other ponies gave her pleading expressions. Without saying another word, Apple Jack plopped down and watched as her exhausted friends slowly built a fire. She could have done it in half the time, but they were quite insistent.
The crackling fire smelled good, and staring at it mesmerized her. Within its wondrous depths, Apple Jack saw her parents again. Come to think of it, she hadn’t really thought about them in a long while. Life had become so busy and complicated that she hadn’t taken the time to reflect on what it meant to bear the burden of their absence. Wow… one more reason that Apple Jack was a terrible daughter.
Pinkie Pie broke the awkward silence that lingered around the camp fire. Good ol’ Pinkie.
“I have an idea,” Pinkie said. “I know you’re all super duper sad about your parents and all, but maybe you might feel better if you told us a happy story about them.”
The other girls watched Apple Jack with both expectation and longing eyes.
Of all her friends, she had known Rarity the longest. Only Rarity had actually seen her parents alive, but even then, both she and Rarity had been young’uns when they passed.
Apple Jack sighed. “Okay… if you think that’ll make me feel better. I’m up for anything at the moment.” She paused and closed her eyes. The smell of the fire filled her nostrils. The aroma changed. Memories conjured a different set of fragrances. Her soul quivered as she imagined the pair of them standing at the fire with them.
When Apple Jack opened her eyes, she saw them standing beside the other girls.
Her father had the same yellow coat that Apple Bloom had. Big Mac took after their father’s build and hair style. Like Apple Bloom, her father had bright red hair. Apple Jack got her father’s green eyes and freckles. He was a good stallion with the world’s largest heart. There was nothing her father couldn’t do, and no problem that he wouldn’t take on to help the folks around him. Usually, her father wore a checked green and white plaid shirt.
Her mother stood beside him, although she was much smaller than he was. Big Mac got their mothers coat, but Apple Jack got her hair. A thick yellow braid trailed over her mother’s shoulder. Resting on top of her mother’s head was the same hat that Apple Jack wore now. A pair of orange irises stared fondly at Apple Jack. From the way Granny Smith tells it, Apple Jack inherited her mother’s fiery spirit. Coupled with a capacity to be always regarded as strong and brave, her mother had a bit of an ego. Not only that, but her mother was very creative and could build such wonderful things. Apple Jack suspected Apple Bloom got that from her.
Apple Jack quivered in her spot. Tears welled on the bottom of her eyes. “I remember this one time when I was a little younger than what Apple Bloom is now, my parents took Big Mac and me to the rodeo. It was my first time going to such a thing, and I was immediately hooked. There was pig wrestling, barrel jumping, and even races. My parents even introduced me to some of the rodeo clown ponies. I had so much fun.”
She sniffed and wiped her face. Moisture covered her hook and leg, but she didn’t care.
“There was this other time during Hearts and Hooves day when they…” she choked up a little bit. Apparently, her body had refilled its supply of sadness and woe, for it started to spill out from her. She started sobbing and couldn’t stop herself, despite her best efforts.
“It’s okay, darling. Let it out.” Rarity started rubbing her back with a hoof.
“No it’s not okay. I’m weak.” Apple Jack whimpered harshly. “Apples are supposed to be strong. I’m not supposed to…”
In an instant, they were all around her. Great warmth encompassed her entire being. The dominant woe she had been holding on to tightly suddenly melted away. When Apple Jack opened her eyes and gazed at her friends, she felt a wave of astonishment slap her across the face.
They were all crying too. Five pairs of weepy eyes locked with hers.
“You’re not weak,” Fluttershy said. “There is nothing weak about crying. It’s weak not letting it out.”
Rarity rubbed her cheek against Apple Jack’s, the combination of their tear stained faces caused their faces to slid easily against one another. “You’re the strongest person I know, and nothing will ever change that. If you weren’t crying about something so terrible, I would worry about you.”
Twilight Sparkle said “The fact that you’re crying shows how much you care about your parents. Don’t forget we’re here with you too. That’s what friends are for. We’re here to ease your burdens and prop you up when you feel you can’t go on. Think about all the times you’ve done it for us?”
In turn, Apple Jack studied each of her friends. Warm sparkles flared in her mind. In the center of each of those sparkles, a wondrous memory of their friendship flashed. In the midst of those memories, more positive recollections of her parents surfaced.
Apple jack hugged her best friends a little tighter. “I really love you all. You’re like my family… and I couldn’t do this without you.”
For the rest of the night, Apple Jack recounted great stories of her parents and growing up around them. There were still moments where Apple Jack cried, but now she knew she could do it without having to feel like she wasn’t living up to the Apple name. It wasn’t all sad though, and she laughed as she told some of the stories.
In the morning, Apple Jack and her friends resumed their journey. They moved with purpose and renewed vitality. They would no doubt find her parents and the villain in the mountains in the distance. Under her breath, Apple Jack whispered “I’m coming, Mom and Dad.”