Chapter 9 – Sisterly Concern
“Apple Bloom,” Applejack said as she retuned home in the evening, “Ah’m home. Ah’ got some good news fer you.” The house was eerily quiet, too quiet for this time. Usually Applejack would hear Granny Smith singing and cooking or Apple Bloom chatting away at her recent Crusading adventure. Such sounds lightened the orange earth pony’s heart, no matter how tough the days were.
“Hello,” she said again, “Anypony home?” She walked into the kitchen and saw Granny Smith and Big Macintosh sitting around the table with dour faces. “What’s goin’ on? Where’s Apple Bloom?”
“Apple Bloom’s up in her room,” Granny Smith said, “she came back early from her Crusadin’ that she does an’ without a word she bolted up to her bedroom.”
"Eyup,” Big Macintosh replied, “she’s been cryin’ the whole afternoon. We’ve been tryin’ to git her to talk to us but she doesn’t want to talk to anypony but you.”
“Alright then,” Applejack said as she straightened her hat, “Ah’ll go try talkin’ to her.”
Applejack padded up the stairs to Apple Bloom’s room. As she approached the door, she could hear little sobs. “If she’s been crying fer this long, somethin’ must be up,” Applejack said as she approached the door. With a front hoof she rapped lightly on the door. “Apple Bloom, it’s yer sister. Cah ah’ come in?”
There was a pause, and then amidst the sobs the Applejack heard a soft “yes.” She opened the door and saw Apple Bloom lying on her bed curled up in a ball. In front of her, the sheets of the bed were stained from her tears.
“Apple Bloom, what happened?”
“They left me,” the red manned mare said.
“Who left you,” the orange mare said.
“The Crusaders did”
Applejack stood there in shock. The Crusaders were Apple Bloom’s best friends. The three were always seen together in town. Whatever happened, it was something big to cause them to abandon one of their own. “Alright,” Applejack said, “tell me what happened.”
Apple Bloom explained how she met the Crusaders and told them about how she became a mare, how they looked at her like she was strange, and how then ultimately left her to go into town to try and get their cutie marks.
“Oh Apple Bloom,” Applejack said as she removed her hat, “ah’m so sorry to hear that yer friends did that. Ah’m gonna have a talkin’ to them. They should have stuck with you, especially since you are already goin through so much now. Ah’ also have to apologize myself.”
“Apologize fer what sis,” Apple Bloom said through the sobs.
“Ah was the on to tell you that you couldn’t go into town. Ah’ was tryin ta protect you because ah didn’t know how ponies in town would react to yo bein’ a mare now. But in doin’ so, ah’ denied yo bein’ able to go with yer friends Crusadin’. Can you forgive me?”
Apple Bloom looked up at her sister in shock. After all Apple Bloom did with becoming a mare to get her cutie mark, Applejack was asking for her forgiveness!”
“Well of course ah’ forgive you sis. You just wanted to protect me that’s all. Ah’m the one that did wrong. Ah’ thought that if ah’ became a mare ah’d be getting’ mah cutie mark, but instead ah’ messed everythin’ up. Ah’m sorry. Can ya forgive me?”
“Of course ah’ forgive you Apple Bloom,” Applejack said hugging her sister, “you made a mistake sure, but you are ownin’ up to it. Anypony can make mistakes. Ah’ know ah’ made mistakes like as a filly leavin’ here to try an’ live in Manehattan. But as long as you admit yer mistake and make sure to avoid doin’ it again, well then everythin’s fine. The true sign of growin’ up is not how you look, but it’s bein’ responsible fer yer actions.”
“So, you don’t think ah’m a monster,” Apple Bloom said.
“Now Apple Bloom, have you looked at yerself in the mirror lately? Yer very beautiful as a mare. Why ah’d say yer one of the prettiest mares in Ponyville, maybe even Equestria!”
“Thanks, Applejack.”
“Oh, ah’ almost forgot. Ah’ have some good news fer you Apple Bloom, speakin’ of bein’ a mare,” Applejack said.
“What sis?”
“Well ah’ said ah’ was gonna talk to Zecora today to see if she had some kind on antidote. She said she didn’t have any yet, but she said that she’d be able to make an antidote. It would take three days for her to do so as she needed to git the herbs and such, but you’ll be back to yer old self in no time!”
Apple Bloom bounced for joy. While she liked being a mare, she didn’t like being without her friends and being able to go to town or school. She missed her filly life. But now was the chance to get that back.
“Thanks Applejack fer askin’ Zecora,” Apple Bloom said giving her sister a hug.
“Yer welcome,” Applejack said ruffing her man a little, “how ‘bout we git down stairs an’ see what Granny Smith’s cookin’ up fer us.”
The two sisters walked together down the stairs their bonds of love even stronger today.