//------------------------------// // Applejack // Story: Recall Memories of Midnight // by Tangerine Blast //------------------------------// Applejack bucked an apple tree so hard it cracked, bits of wood flying every which way. The apples fell around her in a shower of red but there were no barrels to collect them today. She didn’t even glance at the fruit before kicking the tree again, harder this time. The cracks grew and grew as she kept hammering at the sturdy trunk. She could see the thing almost caving. She could feel it bending to her will. She could- “You gonna destroy all our livelihood now, too?” The sudden voice made her flinch and threw off her aim. Instead of hitting the tree yet again, her back legs connected with nothing but air and sent her sprawling to her belly in the dirt. She glanced out beneath her hat to see Big Macintosh standing a few feet away, watching her intently. Though he had caused his little sister to make a fool out of herself, there was no humor in his eyes.  Which was just as well, Applejack was already raving mad and didn’t need another reason to lash out. “What do you want?” She snapped, climbing to her hooves. She pointedly ignored the ache in her back legs and pride. “Can’t ya see I’m working?” Big Mac raised a brow. “That what you callin’ it now? Smacking the same empty tree for a good half hour is work?” Applejack turned away from him, staring at the sea of bruised fruit instead. There was a long moment of silence between the two before Applejack, in a softer tone, asked, “How is she?” “She’ll be fine,” Big Mac said, though he couldn’t hide the sorrow in his voice from his sister, “Doc says she’ll be right as rain with a few days of bed rest.” “She say anything?” Applejack asked, keeping her eyes wide and staring at the horizon. She couldn’t close them. Every time she did she just saw the same sickening image of her little sister lying on the floor, her back red… “Not yet,” Big Mac interrupted her thoughts with his gentle drawl, “Doc says she’s in shock, but that it should wear off with time an’ love.” He eyed Applejack deeply and his voice turned almost accusatory. “She needs ya right now.”  Applejack glanced at him as much of her anger seemed to seep out of her and into the earth. “Ah know but… Ah can’t face her Mac, ah just can’t. She needed me back there and ah just let her down. Ah just…” Her eyes watered and she turned away again, blinking rapidly and kicking an apple half-heartedly. “Ya did all ya could,” Big Mac said gently, “You were fightin’ tooth and nail to stop it, just like the rest of us. There were just too many guards. There’s nothin’ more you could have done.” Applejack’s teeth ground together. She wanted to be angry. Anger had strength and power that self-pity could never achieve. “There has to be somethin’ ah could have done. Ah could have just said yes! Ah could have given in to their demands early or or…” “Applejack.” Applejack started as her brother suddenly was right by her side, leaning a comforting shoulder into her own. “Applejack, do you think Apple Bloom would have been glad if you just let the rest of the town starve? Do you really think that would have been the right thing ta do?” Applejack couldn’t stop the tears streaming down her face now. So she elected to just ignore them. “Of course ah don’t. Ah just wish ah could have done somethin’. Ah wish this whole…” She waved a hoof at the dark night sky, “...everythin’ would just stop.” Big Mac didn’t say anything to that. He just stood there, comforting and stable as Applejack pretended she wasn’t sobbing.  “Ah can’t let this happen again…” She eventually muttered, once she had gotten the tears under control, “Ah can’t let them night guards keep doin’ whatever they want without consequence. Things are only gettin’ worse every day. Ah just can’t sit by.” “So what are ya gonna do?” Big Mac eventually asked, but by the way he was staring off into the Everfree Forest Applejack was sure he knew the answer. “We still have that magic paper that crazed Zebra gave us?” Big Mac just shrugged. “Ah didn’t throw it away if you didn’t.” With a resigned sigh, Applejack closed her eyes. She saw the guards drag her screaming sister away. Saw them hit her until she stopped screaming, her back torn up and staining her yellow coat red. She could feel the hooves of the other guards holding Applejack back, keeping her away so all she could do was watch. She could feel her sister’s shaking body as she held her and told her everything would be alright, even if Apple Bloom’s eyes couldn’t focus on her own. She couldn’t make that a lie. She would make sure things were alright. She opened her eyes and set her jaw. “Well, guess we better write her and see if that invitation’s still open.”