The apple business was booming. Applejack watched proudly as ponies bought her treats by the cartload, almost literally. Big Mac had to be one of the best salesponies ever, and Apple Bloom grabbed attention like no one else. Granny Smith was inside Sugar Cube Corner at the moment, making more of the delicious sweets.
The blonde Earth Pony's attention moved from her family to the brown Unicorn in front of her. Ghost Writer had her paper and pen out, ready to get started. "All right. You were about to tell me about Apple Bloom running away."
"Ah was, but there's some things left to say before we get to that."
"More about your father?"
"More about Big Mac and Apple Bloom."
Big Macintosh is one of the hardest workers you'll find in Equestria, not countin' myself of course. He's always been that way. Ah guess he realized that Pa was losing it and decided to be the stallion of the house. Never mind that he was hardly even six years old. We needed somepony to rely on, and Big Mac was it. Back then he was just Macintosh, or Little Mac to older ponies.
Apple Bloom was born in the cold of December, right about the time that apples go out of season. There was a small snow storm on that day, nothin' too bad.
The day Mama died was the day that Mac fell in love. No, not with a very special somepony. With a little yellow filly who'd just been born. After the doc had cleaned up the mess and moved Ma, he let us in to see our new sister. She was bundled up in pink, and Pa was holding her.He let us each get a good look at her.
Ah'd never been more excited in my whole life. A new sister, can you imagine it? Ah wanted to hold her and love her forever. But my feelings were nothing compared to Mac's. He took one look at her and Ah could feel the change in him. He'd always been protective of me, but Ah wasn't the kind of filly who needed lookin' after.
He asked our Pa what her name was. She didn't have one yet. And it was Little Macintosh who said "Well, she looks 'bout like an apple bloom with her face peeking out like that."
We all agreed. She definitely did look like a tiny little Apple Bloom.
When we got her home, Mac and Ah fell over ourselves working out the best possible schedule for us to watch her after chores. Way we had it figured, we could finish our chores at noon, and he could watch her til four, then Ah'd watch her til bed time. By that point, Pa was still mostly himself, so that wasn't an issue. Not until two weeks later when we all three got chewed on by Granny Smith for leaving unbucked trees in the north orchard.
After that, there wasn't much time for us to watch our baby sister. Ah would let Macintosh off the hook occasionally and finish his chores and mine and Pa's so he could go spend time with her. He never really resented her like Ah ended up doing after a while. When I finally put two 'n' two together and realized that she was why Ma hadn't come home... Well, Ah wasn't a fun filly to be around, and you couldn't even say the words 'apple bloom' without me gettin' angry.
But Mac? He loved her even though he surely realized why we had an Apple Bloom but not a Mama. He was two years older than me, maybe he was just more understanding. But after Ah made the connection, Ah wanted nothin' to do with our little sister.
Sure, Ah would keep an eye on her when all the grown-ups were busy with apple sellin', cooking and whatnot. Ah would play with her and she was adorably sweet, but Ah was still angry, and angry Ah would stay.
Pa started bringing her with us when we went to visit Ma's grave. He told the stories of her, and those were the times when he seemed really, truly alive. He would look back in the past and be young again, with her.
Once Apple Bloom got to where she could walk out to the orchards, Big Mac would take her out with him. They'd gab while he worked. Ah stayed clear of them both. Back then Ah was convinced that Ah hated Apple Bloom. Her first birthday rolled around. By that point, Pa was sick again. No chores had gotten done that day. With Pa not wanting to get out of bed and the worst blizzard since the first Hearth's Warming Eve outside, Granny Smith just had us stay inside and drink some hot cocoa.
And I did an awful thing to Apple Bloom. It was getting towards the end of the day, and she noticed that I hadn't told her happy birthday yet. Ah told her that Ah didn't see it as the day she was born; Ah saw it as the day Mama died. Well, what do you expect happened? She started bawlin', and that got me a stern lecture and a one way ticket for the night to my room.
The next day, the storm hadn't let up any. Everypony was in a panic because Apple Bloom wasn't in the house. At some point durin' the night, she'd slipped out her window. And thanks to the blizzard, we had no sign of where she'd gone. Ah felt like such a donkey. No, Ah take that back, that was an insult to donkeys everywhere.
Granny Smith stayed home while Mac, Pa, and I searched. Mac went into town to see if anyone had seen her and maybe get a bit of help. Pa and Ah headed towards the Everfree Forest, hopin' she hadn't gone that way.
Pa gave me a talkin' to. "Applejack, Ah know you miss your ma. Ah miss her too. But she died so your little sister could live. Apple Bloom is our one reminder of her, you understand?"
Ah, bein' the obedient filly Ah was, nodded and said, "Yessir. Ah just got angry at her. Ah'm sorry, Ah caused all this."
He just gave me a kind look and said, "Don't you worry. We'll find her and that'll more than make up for it."
But we didn't find her. He sent me and Mac home when it started gettin' dark. Everypony that Mac had gotten to help went into their own homes. The storm had died down earlier that day, but it was still snowing pretty heavily. Granny, Mac, and Ah all waited up. Finally, Pa came in with a bundle on his back.
He looked sick. He wouldn't stop shaking, and his mane was half-frozen. But when we tried to get him to the fireplace, he pushed the bundle towards us. And there was Apple Bloom, lookin' like she was dead. Hay, for a little bit we were sure she was, but we kept her by the fire at Pa's orders. He wasn't backin' down for nothin'. He'd found her layin' on Mama's grave at the top of the hill. And that night, he was Pa. The real Pa. The Pa that used to run and play with me and Mac.
The sun was just startin' to rise when we heard a tiny cough from Apple Bloom. And that was good enough for us. We called the doctor over right away. He condemned both Pa and Apple Bloom to bed.
They both had Pneumonia. Doc said that neither of them had a good chance. Fillies that young almost never survived it, and Pa had been mistreatin' himself so badly that his immune system wasn't up to it. He said that the only thing to do was wait.
We didn't have to wait long. Ah swear, Apple Bloom's one of the bounciest ponies besides Pinkie Pie. In four days, she was chattin' us up and wantin' to get out of bed. Hers was a miracle recovery.
Pa didn't get better. Over the next month his health continued to drop. Finally, the doc let us go in one by one to see him. Except Apple Bloom. Last thing she needed was to catch it again. Ah don't know what Pa told Macintosh and Granny Smith. Ah do know that they came out cryin', though Mac was tryin' not to let it show. Macintosh had changed again. He wasn't Little Mac no more, he was Big Macintosh.
And when my turn came, I went in a bit nervously. Ah was sure he wanted to yell at me for gettin' him into this mess. He smiled at me, though, and told me, "You look just like your mother. Except for the eyes. Those are Apple eyes." A fit of coughin' interrupted him before he said, "You need to look after this family. Big Mac can do it, but he'll need your help."
"Yessir," Ah said automatically. He held up a hoof.
"Lemme finish. I'm not gonna last much longer, Abigail-- Applejack." He smiled a bit. "Ah probably won't make it to your sixth birthday. Ah'm sorry for that. But I want you to do me a favor."
"Anything, Daddy." Ah was crying by now. Why wouldn't Ah? Ah was five years old, and my Pa was dying.
"Ah want you to go over to my closet, and in the back is a big round box. Ah want you to take out what's in that box and wear it."
Ah did as he was told. Ah went to his closet, opened it slowly. The rule in the house was you didn't touch anypony's closet but yours. But my Pa told me to, so Ah did. Ah found the box he was talkin' about. Big, round thing. Ah opened it up and pulled out a new leather stetson, exactly like the one he wore all the time.
Puttin' it on my head felt like Ah was bein' crowned the next princess of Equestria. Ah walked back out to let me Pa see it. He reached out to straighten it a little, and gave me a big ole smile. "Correction: Now you look just like your mother." He coughed again. "Remember, little girl. This ain't your fault. Ah was the fool who stayed out in the snow all night. You keep an eye on your sister. And don't let your older brother work too hard. Take care of your Granny for me, Celestia knows she won't make it easy."
"Ah will, Daddy."
"Good girl. Give me a hug, and then send your Granny back in. Ah have a few final things to tell her."
Ah did as Ah was told. Two hours later, the world was a darker place. The four of us made the trip up the hill with Pa. Granny Smith said a few words. Big Mac and Ah filled in his hole, the one he'd dug the year before. We placed his marker right next to Mama's. Hers said 'A wonderful mother and a good mare.' We wrote his to say 'An amazing father and a great stallion.'
Apple Bloom cried. Who'm Ah kiddin', we all cried. We headed back to the house to warm up and let ourselves grieve for a bit. Big Mac carried Apple Bloom up the hill. Ah carried her down. Ah even let her wear my hat for a bit, but Pa had given her a bow for her birthday.
And Ah told myself that Ah would always love my little sister, no matter what.
Ghost Writer sniffed a bit as she put that final period. "Thank you, Applejack. That was a beautiful story."
"It was one that Ah needed to tell. Ah look forward to seein' it in Equestria Daily News."
"Applejack, Applejack, Ah just made mah first sale!" Apple Bloom came bouncing up, grinning.
Applejack gave her a small grin. "We'll make a salespony out of you yet. Anything else you need, Miss Writer?"
"You've given me plenty. But hey, maybe I'll get Big Mac's view some time."
"Well, you're always welcome here in Ponyville, so don't be a stranger."
"Who was she, Applejack?" Apple Bloom looked up at her older sister, pure admiration in her eyes.
"Just some journalist, wonderin' about my hat."
"Oh, oh, will you tell me now?"
"Well... Sure." Applejack smiled. "It all started the day you were born..."