//------------------------------//
// You can't run forever 
// Story: Silver Lining 
// by Shumiry 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 1

“Ah guess it's true what they say, 'Every cloud has a silver lining.' Sometimes it takes a terrible loss, to find what you've always wanted.” -Applejack


“Winona is perfectly healthy, AJ,” Fluttershy said, setting the excitable dog on the floor of her cottage. Applejack had showed up unexpectedly, pleading with the pegasus to check the canine over. To make sure there was nothing wrong with her. Shy had been able to tell immediately that the little dog was the picture of health, but she could tell something was bothering her friend, and so chose to humor her.
“Oh that's a relief,” Applejack said, wiping her brow with a forehoof, “ah just wanted t'make sure.” For a moment, neither pony spoke. As the silence lingered, Applejack's forehead sprouted numerous beads of sweat.
“Is... something bothering you?” Fluttershy asked, knowing something must be wrong. Applejack shook her head,
“No no, nothin's the matter. Come on Winona, we got work to do!” As she headed out the door, she called back,
“Thanks Shy!”
“No problem...” The butter cream pegasus scarcely more than whispered, as the door closed behind her orange friend.
Should I tell the others? She wondered, unable to shake the feeling that something was troubling the earth pony. In the end, she opted to let it go.
I'm probably just imagining things.
Applejack had been making good time, heading back to the farm at a brisk trot. As she neared her destination, however, her hooves began to drag, and soon she was barely more than walking. After some time, her eyes fell upon the house. Her home.
The sun was shining brightly in the clear blue skies, as birds sang in the trees and the plants soaked up the light. By all accounts, it was another gorgeous day in Equestria. Applejack shivered, her flesh prickling with goosebumps as the cold chill moved through her.
She's strong! This is just a little case of the sniffles! Somehow, the thoughts did nothing to allay the cold prickling through her. Finally, she reached the front door. Raising a hoof, she hesitated.
Come on now Applejack! She chided herself, There's nuthin to be afraid of! Still her forehoof waited, unwilling to press the lever. After what felt like an eternity, she lowered it, and turned from the house, choosing to head out to the orchard and see if she had maybe overlooked something in her chores. The cold lump in her chest told her she was merely delaying the inevitable.
"You can't run forever," It seemed to say.
As the sun was setting, AJ found herself once again standing before the door to the house, hoof raised. She'd run out of excuses to stay out, and she had to sleep sometime. Gathering her resolve, she entered her home. It was eerily quiet in the place. Normally, Granny Smith would've greeted her in some form or fashion, even if it was a simple “Whuzzat?” before nodding off again.
The orange mare smiled at the memory, but as her eyes drifted to the staircase she'd have to climb to get to her room, her smile died. With cold dread in her chest, she began her ascent, moving painfully slowly, so as to make as little noise as possible. With careful, deliberate steps, she walked up to the door to Granny Smith's room. The house was silent.
Her breath became labored, and she had to gasp to get enough air. Panic tightened her chest, as she raised a shaking hoof to the doorknob. Her vision was beginning to swim from hyperventilating, and she had to focus on her hoof to make it turn the handle. When the door at last swung open, she saw...
Granny Smith lay in bed, eyes closed, the corners of her mouth turned up in an easy, peaceful smile. Tears sprang to Applejack's eyes as she stared at the unmoving covers.
No! Her mind rebelled against reality, struggling not to comprehend the scene before her. With slow, wooden steps, she walked up to the bed, as silent tears dripped off her face, landing with small plips on the hard floor. As she stood beside the inert form, her heart pounded in her ears. A shaking orange hoof rose from the floor, hovering above the old mare. After several long seconds, AJ finally touched her grandmother's foreleg.
It was dry. And cold. She sobbed then, as her hind legs gave out from under her, causing the orange pony to lower down to a sitting position beside the bed. Her shoulders heaved as she tried to restrain her cries, but this...
She wept, head in her hooves on the floor, alternately screaming and crying, until her voice grew hoarse, and her cries cracked as her vocal cords gave out. Nopony was in the house to hear her. Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom had left for Appleloosa just four days ago, and wouldn't return for another three at least. But just after they'd departed, Granny Smith had come down with a cold.
From the start, the old mare seemed to know that this was the one. AJ stubbornly refused to admit that the stalwart old pony could ever be done in. Now, as she rose to her hooves, and gazed upon the still form of her beloved ancestor, she realized what a foal she'd been.
You left her alone. Her traitorous thoughts told her, Left her here to die. Applejack took a step back from the bed.
“No... Ah didn't... Ah mean...” Horrible scenarios plagued her mind, of Granny Smith, desperately calling for her, calling out for anypony to help her. She saw the green pony looming over her, impossibly massive,
“Why'd y'all leave me AJ? Didn't ya love me anymore?” it bellowed. Terrified, the orange pony ran from the room, the sound of her hooves deafening in the empty house. She imagined she heard the dead pony rise from the bed, and give chase through the hall. Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she saw only emptiness. Then the world tilted forward as her front hooves landed on empty air.
Thud-thump-whump-thump-thud. AJ tumbled down the staircase, landing in a heap at the bottom. Blood dripped down into her right eye from a cut, and her left shoulder felt badly bruised, though her adrenaline kept her from feeling much pain. Bursting through the front door, she ran. It was full night now, and the pony could barely see where she was going, but the fear hounded her. As the familiar burn of physical exertion began to spread through her limbs, the terror slowly receded.
Her breathing was ragged when her legs finally stopped obeying her, forcing her to slow to a canter, and then a walk. Sweat soaked her coat, as she slowly made her way...
“Applejack!?” The soft voice was suffused with panic, as the yellow pegasus galloped down the path to meet her. She skidded to a halt before the fatigued pony, fear evident in her features.
“Granny... Smith...” AJ managed between gasping breaths, before the full brunt of the days events finally caught up with her. She thought the yellow blur said something, but it sounded so far away as she fell over onto the soft dirt. Dimly, she was aware of the sensation of floating, like she was flying, before sinking into the blackness of sleep.
When her eyes opened, it was still night out. Looking around, she realized she was laying on a couch, with a mug of something on the coffee table beside her.
Ah must be in Fluttershy's cottage... she thought, wondering how she'd ended up here. Sitting up, she reached out and grabbed the mug, taking a ginger sip.
“Bleh!” She stuck her tongue out, “Tea.” Despite her dislike of the beverage, her raw throat and dehydrated body demanded she drink, and soon the cup was empty.
Why am ah so thirsty? She wondered, looking around the room once more. In the darkness looming before her, she saw the memories her mind had struggled to hide from her. The house, the stairs, the room... Granny Smith... The mug crashed to the floor as her hooves rose to her face, sobs escaping her once more.
With a flurry of hoofsteps, a light bloomed upstairs, and Fluttershy came running down, a lantern held in her mouth. When she looked into Applejack's eyes, her jaw dropped. The lantern clattered to the floor, but did not break, as the pegasus rushed over to her devastated friend. When the cream-colored pony wrapped her hooves around AJ, the earth pony tried to pull away, embarrassed to be showing such weakness.
“Y'all, y'all don't hafta,” she protested, trying to push the other mare away, “ah don't need any-”
“You don't have to be strong all the time.” The words, spoken so softly, directly into her ear, seemed to break something within the stubborn pony's mind. The fight left her, and she went limp in Fluttershy's forelegs. She remembered the Applebucking season when her brother had hurt his back.
Ah'm always there. The rock everypony depends on. With a sniff, she slowly wrapped her forehooves around the other pony.
Isn't it unfair if I never have a rock to hold on to? The dam broke, and for hours the two friends sat, as Applejack cried into the soft, pink mane. She didn't talk much, her few attempts to explain resulted in her dissolving into tears again, and by the time she'd calmed down enough to voice her thoughts, she was far too tired.
“Ah jus...” AJ whispered, as Fluttershy slowly lowered her back down onto the couch, “what am ah gonna do?”
“Shhh,” Fluttershy said, as she gently pulled the blanket back over her exhausted friend.
“Hush now, quiet now,” she sang softly, “it's time to lay your sleepy head.” Applejack's eyes drifted closed, as the song pulled her back to sleep. Fluttershy sang for a long time, her voice slowly growing quieter, until she was merely moving her mouth to the words, silent tears of empathy rolling down her cheeks for the poor earth pony.