//------------------------------// // (9) Rescue // Story: Parents // by Script Singer //------------------------------// Apple Bloom slowly walked down the hall toward her room. As she walked, she stared at the pictures of her and her family. Tears quickly formed in her eyes, but she didn't pay them any attention. Instead, she opened the door to her room and walked inside. She sat on her bed, staring at the picture that was placed on her bedside table. It was a photograph of her family when she first came home as a foal. While reminiscing, she heard a knock on her door. Applejack came in, and when she saw the state her sister was in, she sat next to her. "Somethin' wrong, Sugar Cube?" she asked, Apple Bloom stayed silent, not even looking up at her, "Come on, you can tell me." Applejack pulled her sister close. Apple Bloom let out a sigh. "I miss Ma and Pa..." she sniffed. "Have I ever told you what happened to me the day you ran off?" Applejack asked. Apple Bloom shook her head in response, "I was scared of the memory of the memory of them dying, 'cus I thought it would happen to me. I would try to brush it off but would wake up every night in a panic. After a little time, it wouldn't happen as often. But the day you ran off, I had to face my fear. I saw Ma and Pa that day, and they told me somethin', and you know what?" Apple Bloom stared at her sister in silent interest, her eyes pushing her to keep going. "They saved me, 'cus you, Big Mac and Granny need me. I have to be here for you." she hugged her sister closer. "And that's the truth." Apple Bloom gave a soft smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys..." she wiped her face with a foreleg and looked back up. After a few more minutes of talk, they went back into the other room. Applejack sat Apple Bloom in her lap as she went through the rest of the memory book together. They both laughed at the old photo's of the memories they had in the family, some brought up some sadder memories, but the plethora of nostalgic stories dulled the sadness that they felt fairly quickly. As they sat there, they heard a bark in the distance. Curious, Applejack closed the book and walked outside to get a better listen. Whatever it was, it was obviously in trouble. Applejack and Apple Bloom hurried out of the door and ran after the sound as fast as they could. After a few minutes of running, they saw a small puppy on a small loose ledge of a cliff. They ran faster to help the poor thing not fall to it's death. When they arrived at the top, Applejack held on tight of her sister as she lowered her down to grab the dog. Apple Bloom took hold of the dog, putting a good grip on the animal while being careful not to hurt it. Applejack lifted Apple Bloom, setting the puppy back down on the ground. But before they could say anything, there was a loud crack. The ground gave away under Apple Bloom. She let out a scream as she tried to cling to the edge of the cliff, but slipped. Applejack jumped after her sister to help pull her to safety. Applejack clung to a piece of the edge, holding her sister's hoof below. She gathered all of her strength and threw Apple Bloom to the top of the cliff. Apple Bloom let out a grunt as she landed on the ground, her bow falling out of her mane. Apparently realizing what had happened, the dog started licking her face. Applejack started pulling herself up, but the cliff's edge kept breaking away. Apple Bloom tried to help her sister get onto the safe side of the cliff but was pushed away. Applejack gave her sister a smile; it looked like she was going to say something, but was cut off when the cliff gave way. She started falling, letting out a scream as she plummeted towards the ground. Apple Bloom just stared blankly at the cliff where her sister was, tears filling her eyes. Her bow sat still on the ground, but that was the least of the things on her mind. She sat there for what, to her, felt like forever. Finally, she got up and slowly grabbed her bow, tying it back in her mane, and with one last look towards the edge, she turned around and ran back to the farm. --- Applejack shut her eyes tight as she fell, not wanting to see her death rush towards her. But instead of her hitting the ground, she opened her eyes to find herself in a relatively large river. She surfaced quickly, taking a huge breath and gasping for air. She managed to swim toward the edge of the river and get out of the water to catch her breath. As she regained her strength, her legs began to hurt. Apparently, she had gotten large cuts and bruises from the landing, and the adrenaline and cold water had dulled the pain. With both of these factors gone, the pain was beginning to set in. She sat alone by herself, staring back at the top of the cliff. It was too far away for her to see the top, unfortunately, but she could still watch the sky. The sun had already started to set, so  Applejack got back onto her hooves and tried to find some shelter. Hoping to get some treatment for her legs. She managed to find a cave before the sun set. She gathered a few old tree branches and used some large plants to cover the cuts as best she could. When bandaged to the best of her ability, she curled up into a ball to try and stay warm. She stared at the beautiful night sky, watching the stars twinkle. She watched as two shooting stars flew through the sky. "Goodnight, Ma and Pa..." she whispered. "Apple Bloom, Big Mac, Granny." She shut her eyes, but thoughts kept running through her mind, keeping her from sleeping. She let out a soft sigh, tired from the day she had of bucking Apples and working on other chores she had. While she tried to stay warm, the wind blew into the cave from outside. Applejack shivered, but opened her eyes when she felt something around her, keeping her warm. She turned to look, finding a faint image of somepony on top of her, trying to keep her warm. The sight put a smile on her face. "Thanks, Ma and Pa..." Applejack whispered. She laid her head down once more, trying once more to fall asleep. All the thoughts from her mind suddenly vanished from her mind, putting her at ease. She could hear a faint voice in the distance as she drifted to sleep. Sweet dreams, Sweetheart... See you in the morning...