Our Mutual Epiphany

by Grisaille987

What Use Have I For You, Pitiful Creature

Twilight and Spike found themselves waking up to the sound of urgent knocking on their door, followed by the sound of Applejack's voice.

“Twilight! Spike! Come on, wake up! I know it's late, but this is a very big problem and I don't think Rarity would be too kind about me knocking on her door like this!”

At the sole mention of the fashionista, grogginess turned to confusion. The two briefly regarded each other with questioning looks, but neither one of them could give a logical answer to the other. What kind of urgency would've prompted Applejack to call only on one of her friends? If it was so important, then that would have been the immediate thing to do. But then again, they had no idea what the problem was, and there was no way they would shut out the pleading voice of their friend.

Still, Spike wasn't that eager to get out of bed.

“It's okay, Twi...” He muttered, slowly slipping back into the covers. “You go on ahead... I'll stay here and--” He paused to let out a yawn. “--watch...the...” Whatever else he was going to say was cut off by his mind drifting off, and in an instant he was back to sleep. In response, Twilight gave a heavy sigh and slapped a hoof to her face. Sometimes, she just had to wonder why exactly did she have a baby dragon for an assistant.

When the sound of knocking continued, she let out an aggravated groan and shoved herself out of the sleeping bag she had laid out for herself. She trotted over towards the door and pulled it open, beginning what was supposed to be a reprimanding speech.

“Applejack, can't this wait until-- Ah!”

Said speech was cut off when she found herself tossed into the air, courtesy of Applejack ducking under her and tossing her like a bean bag. A startled yelp escaped her, and she could only flail her legs helplessly as she descended to the ground. But instead of the ground, she would land on the farmer pony's back gut first. A pained grunt escaped her lips as she felt the thick muscle and bone squash her stomach. She raised her head to give an irritated glare – something that was lost to her friend's panic.

“No time, Twi!” Applejack insisted, racing off with her new cargo in tow. “Apple Bloom's gone missing, and you're the only one I could think of who'd be perfectly capable of helping us find her!”

“Wait a minute, missing?” Twilight repeated incredulously, alarm and concern flaring up within her. The feeling of grogginess was shot out instantly, and she was left in a state of full alert. “What do you mean, “missing”?”

“I mean someone sneaked up in our house and took her out!” The farmer was irritated at having to clarify something that should have been so obvious. Considering the state of her emotions, though, it wasn't a long shot to say that her anger was ruling her to a certain extent. “When I went into her room, her sheets were torn and her window was as open as the mouth of a hungry Ursa Major!” Her gaze hardened. “When I get my hooves on the sucker that did it, he or she or whoever is never gonna lay their hooves on anything else!”

The conviction within every word sent a shudder down Twilight's spine. It wasn't the first time that she had seen Applejack angry. But this was one of the occasions were the word “angry” would have been an understatement. In all other instances, Applejack was only angry enough to yell and scold. But not even the likes of her would think about physical assault on another. It was more than enough to force the weight of the situation down on her shoulders. Under the pressure, she remained silent and simply held on as her ride galloped to Sweet Apple Acres.

Then it hit her.

“What exactly do you need me for, Applejack?” She asked quietly.

“Well, firstly, I need you for the light your magic can create. Considering that it's real dark now and only the owls can see with the naked eye, we need some kind of way to see if there were any footprints our unwanted visitor may have left behind. Secondly, you're the only unicorn out of all of us that's got knowledge to that particular spell. You know, the one that detects magical residue?”

“So you want me to detect the residue left behind within the footprints and identify who the kidnapper is?”

“Yup!”

Twilight couldn't help but be a little impressed at Applejack's ability to plan ahead, smiling a little. “All right, Applejack. I'll see what I can do...”

It wasn't long until the two regrouped with the other two residents of Sweet Apple Acres and Twilight could get off her steed.

Normally, the snow would have covered the ground. But the Apple family, having seen ahead of time, had plowed a path through to the managed apple forest for ponies to enter and exit through. So Twilight was free to plop down and peer without fear of being swallowed up by the frozen waters. Truth be told, it took only a few seconds for her to recognize the signature. But she needed to wait until Applejack, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith came back with their “hunting” equipment. In addition to that, she needed the extra time to mentally prepare herself. They would be far from pleased when they heard the results.

“Well, Twi?” Applejack's urgent voice brought Twilight back to reality, prompting her to look up. She would see the various expressions of concern and impatience on the Apple trio's faces, with Applejack's being the more prominent. On their backs, pitchforks could be seen – something that disturbed the unicorn greatly. “Do you know who it was?”

“Applejack.” Twilight decided to help get the implication into their minds first. “Are you and your family heavy sleepers?”

The question turned those impatient looks into confusion. The trio looked at one another for an answer, but none of them could find one from the others. So they turned back to Twilight in order to give their responses.

“Well, I'd like to think that I'm a heavy one...” Applejack said, rubbing the back of her head. “But if the noise is loud enough, I jolt up like a lightning bug...”

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh grunted.

“You kids these days don't know the meaning of the word “quiet”.” Granny Smith grumbled, frowning and wrinkling her nose in disdain.

“So all in all, you're light sleepers, or at least light enough to hear loud noises.” Twilight summarized, looking to each and every one of them. “If kidnappers had to sneak through, he or she would've had to use wings. That would narrow at least the type of pony responsible to be a pegasus. But even in the case that they got to Apple Bloom, no one would've gotten very far before she would start screaming.” She focused her gaze on Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. “Did you two hear screaming?”

They shook their heads no.

“Furthermore,” Twilight walked up to the tree that had its branches broken, resting a hoof against it. “I doubt any pegasi would cause this much damage trying to get out. And I also doubt that they would leave a body print--” She pointed to the said imprint. “--like that. In addition, both the body print and the footprints have the exact same signature, and both of them are too small for any stallion or mare.”

“What exactly are you getting at?” Applejack asked, feeling a bit of apprehension creep up in her tone.

“I'm saying that this isn't a case of kidnapping.” Twilight's face was grim as she regarded each of them once again. “It's a case of runaway. Apple Bloom left by her own will.”

“What?!” The outcry of horror from her recipients was loud and unrestrained. But the weight of that statement was even more potent. Granny Smith even fainted right then and there, her limp body being caught by Bic Macintosh just before she could collapse to the ground. As he kept himself leaned up against the old mare for the sake of her support, he looked to Applejack and saw that she was completely stricken with grief and hurt.

“B-but why?” The farmer mare begged, boring into Twilight with a desperate gaze. She switched from the unicorn to her brother and back again. “Why would she just up and run off without telling any of us?! We're her family, her friends!”

“She was a bit moodier than usual...” Big Macintosh said, frowning thoughtfully. “And she usually talks to us if there's a problem with her. I wouldn't put it above her to run off without saying a word to anyone else...” He trailed off, watching in silent concern as his sister sank to her haunches. The mare was very close to tears, desperately struggling to keep them from spilling down her cheeks. It was a painful sight to see for both him and Twilight, contained as they were.

“She may not have gotten far...” Twilight said, her voice soft and reassuring. “If we follow these tracks, I'm sure we'll get to her in no time.” She brought herself back up to a standing position, walking over to place a hoof on her friend's shoulder. “But we won't get anywhere if we just stand around and mope.”

Applejack took in a deep breath to steady herself, a bit of hope swelling within her. “You're right...” She muttered, standing herself back up. “You're right, Twilight. I shouldn't be crying and sniveling like newborn baby when my sister needs me the most.” She straightened herself up, looking over towards Big Macintosh. “You go on and get Granny Smith inside. She needs the rest more than the rest of us do.”

“Eeyup...”

With that being said, the stallion hefted the old mare onto his back and turned away, walking back into the house. Twilight's eyes were on Applejack as she watched the two go off, her purple eyes full of concern. But even as Big Macintosh disappeared from sight, Applejack did not turn her head back. Neither of them spoke for a moment, with Applejack eying the corner of where her family had turned, and Twilight waiting her to turn back around. A somewhat tense moment of silence passed.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Twilight spoke.

“Applejack--”

“Well?”

She hadn't expected the vehement response directed towards her, flinching as Applejack turned her gaze back to forward position. Although her voice was calm and controlled, her eyes were blazing with barely restrained anger – a frightening combination. “What are you waiting for? You're the one with the torch.” She took a step forward, stomping a hoof into the ground. “Move it!”

“Y-yes!” Not wanting to be on the receiving end of Applejack's wrath, Twilight immediately set to work on lighting the way. Applejack was right behind her.

The majority of the walk was spent in silence.

Twilight could practically feel Applejack's glare into her flank as the two moved through the apple forest. She knew that anger wasn't directed at her, and she could safely assume the glare wasn't direct. However, it didn't give her reason not to feel nervous. At this point, the farmer would probably be furious at her if she spoke the wrong words or even moved the wrong way. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally provoke Applejack. But this desire wasn't helped by what she was seeing in the pattern of the footsteps.

She took in a deep breath, mentally bracing herself. “I'm seeing a drag in every forth hoof-print...” She said. “Considering what I saw back at the house, I'm guessing Apple Bloom jumped out the window and started heading this way. But the height from her window to the ground was pretty high. I don't like saying things like this so easily... but this indicates a broken, or at least sprained leg. It's amazing how she got this far ahead of--”

The sound of bark cracking silenced her, and she whipped around to see what was the cause.

Applejack was just coming out of a bucking position, her hind legs lowering themselves to the ground. The tree that unfortunate enough to become her victim had a chunk torn out of it, with two hoof-shaped holes freshly engraved in its trunk. Her teeth were gritted, and her breaths had become somewhat heavier. “What could've possibly been so bad that she hurt herself and refused to tell anyone else?!” She asked rhetorically. “At first, I was thinking Apple Bloom to be a bit immature about this. But this... this is making me feel like I'm nothing more than a stranger to her!”

“Wait a minute, let's not jump to conclusions here!” By this time, Twilight had turned around completely to face Applejack, her front hooves raised in protest. “Applejack, you and I both know that this isn't the first time that she's done something like this. Remember the Cutie Pox incident?”

The memory momentarily Applejack's frustration, replacing it with slight confusion. She looked down at the ground in thought. At that time, Apple Bloom had performed the same act of not telling anyone that she had eaten Zecora's stew which caused the Cutie Pox. Back then, however, she had decided it to be nothing more than one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' many schemes to attempt to obtain their Cutie Marks. As fear-inducing as that had been, this situation was far more dangerous.

“Yeah, but that was just some childish mistake.” She retorted. “Sure, worse things could've happened, but that was just a simple goof-off due to her not knowing any better! This time, she knows what she's doing and she's purposefully not letting us know why she's doing it!” She stamped a hoof on the ground for emphasis. “You can't tell me there's not a sign of distrust in that!”

A heavy sigh escaped Twilight's lips, defeat written on her face. “You're right. I can't...”

“That's why when I find her,” Applejack continued, trotting past Twilight. “I'm gonna tan some sense into that yellow hide of hers!” She didn't notice the slight flinch from the unicorn before she followed, keeping an illuminated path for the both of them to follow. “This will be the last time she decides to off and run whenever she feels like it!”

“Don't you think that's a bit too har--”

Twilight found herself cut off once more when Applejack stopped, her muzzle crashing against one side of Applejack's hindquarters. She staggered back in surprise. “Applejack, what are you--”

“Ssh!” Applejack raised a hoof up and silenced her. “Listen!”

Both of them perked up their ears, and sure enough, they could hear it. Just up ahead of the hoof prints, a faint sobbing could be heard. Because they could recognize it, their spirits both lifted and sank at the sound. As they continued to walk quietly, Applejack began to see hints of yellow and red within the confines of a small and leafy bush. Her heart leaped into her throat at the sight, and she soon found herself forgoing both her quiet approach and the desire to inflict a physical punishment. She ran up to the bush, her voice a hushed shout.

“Apple Bloom!”

The sobbing noises stopped immediately. Applejack took that moment to push away the leaves in order for a clearer view of what was inside.

Sure enough, there was the filly. She was laying on her side, her legs partially folded to her underside. She was littered in scrapes and scratches, her yellow fur caked with dirt and grime. Her bow was gone, presumably lost in her escape from the household. One of her hind legs had an ugly shade of purple to it – a clear indication that she had indeed broken her ankle. But what had caught Applejack's sight was the hazel eyes that stared at her so blankly. If it hadn't been for her chest rising, she would've thought the filly had died.

“Oh, Celestia...” She breathed, bending downward and moving her forelegs underneath the body. She flinched slightly when Apple Bloom let out a pitiful whimper at the touch. “Ssh, listen to me, Apple Bloom. Look at me. You're going to be all right, you hear? Just rest, I'll get you back into bed safe and sound.”

“Is she all right?” Twilight asked nervously, quickly trotting over to where Applejack was.

“She's got a broken ankle all right...” Applejack answered, her voice allowing for only a flicker of upset within its tone. “I don't think I can shift her on my back without making it worse. Can you carry her?”

Without word, Twilight moved herself so that Applejack could gently place Apple Bloom on her back. Thankfully, Apple Bloom wasn't so heavy as to become a burden on her back. She let out a slight grunt as she felt the weight, but other than that, there was no sign of major exertion. “I can help you out a little with reducing the severity of the wound, but I'm no doctor. It's going to take time and actual medical assistance for it to get better.”

“That's okay, Twilight...” Applejack smiled reassuringly. “Our family had to deal with our share of bumps, bruises and broken bones along the way. A broken ankle's nothing we can't fix.” This was enough to relax the unicorn, if only for a little.

“All right, Applejack, if you say so...”

There were no words spoken after that. The two basked in the silence, the aversion of their friends' crisis the dominant thought within their heads. Although neither of them knew what had caused Apple Bloom to run away in the first place, they were glad that she was safe and sound. Sure, she was going to get in trouble, but that was to be expected. Hopefully, Applejack wouldn't be too harsh on her and carry out her intended punishment. The filly already had been through too much, judging from the visage. Physical retribution would only make things worse.

The thought of it already being worse, however, would not leave Twilight's mind. Apple Bloom's weak and fragile form alone wouldn't have prompted the apprehension. Applejack would remain blissfully unaware, convinced that everything that needed to be done was. But Twilight wouldn't. Her stomach would do a flip and her mind would convince her that she was hearing things. But all she was doing was denying the truth, when she heard Apple Bloom speak.

“Why did you come...?”

Comments

[Grisaille987]

Fuck, having new ideas in my head always clutter my old ones.

To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed with how this came out, now that I'm giving it a once-over. But still, it's better than nothing, right? Hope I didn't keep you guys waiting for too long.

[Pyro The Reader]

Wooooah, update yay!

[sudofox]

static.fimfiction.net/images/icons/thumb_up.png

[Shadow_Wolf]

I"m not disappointed... I'm waiting to see what happens next!