Home Sweet Home

by Wheller


Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Applejack stood in horror of the sight before her, the mangled body of her younger sister lying at her hooves was not something that she was prepared to see.

“Apple Bloom! Ah... ah gotta git ya to a hospital!” Applejack called out.

Big Macintosh appeared at her side, pushing her out of the way. “Ah reckon ya did enough,” The draught pony said coldly, he gingerly lifted Apple Bloom onto his back and trotted off gently towards the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, trying not to rattle her around.

Big Macintosh entered town, and quickly came across the crews of the VC Fireflies leaning against their tanks.

“Ya’ll there! Ah need ya help!” Big Macintosh called out, the tank crew’s attention was caught, they looked at the broken body of Apple Bloom on the draught ponies back, they needed no further explanation; both crews climbed into their tanks and started up.

“Just point the way to hospital!” the commander of VC Firefly God Save The King said as they helped Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom onto the back of the tank.

Big Macintosh pointed what road they needed to follow, and with that, God Save The King took off at high speed with Shiver Me Timbers! in close second. The tanks barrelled through Whitetail Wood and up the mountain pass towards Canterlot. Big Macintosh held onto Apple Bloom for dear life.

The Canterlot city ponies panicked on the sight of the VC Firefly tanks rolling through their street.

“Out of tha way!” Big Macintosh called out. “Git outta tha way! It’s an emergency!”

Most ponies had the sense to do so. More of them panicked, calling out for someone to summon the royal guard. Big Macintosh wasn’t about to let anypony get in the way of getting his sister to the Royal Hospital, even if they had to roll over a detachment of the guard to do it.

The Fireflies’ speed however proved it to be unnecessary to worry; they arrived in front of the Royal Hospital in record timing.

Big Macintosh climbed off the back and with the help of several of the kangaroo crew, gently lowered Apple Bloom down to his back. He quickly trotted inside.

“Ah need a doctor! Right now or mah lil’ sister is gonna die!” Big Macintosh called out as he entered the room.

The medical ponies took noticed of the badly hurt Apple Bloom and they all leapt up. The medical ponies took Apple Bloom back. Her life was in their hooves now.

...

Big Macintosh and Corporal Elliot Southerland waited outside the room that they’d taken Apple Bloom to. They waited in silence for hours while the doctors did everything that they could for the filly.

Elliot turned to Big Macintosh and broke the silence. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”

Big Macintosh did not reply. He just kept going over what had happened.

“I met her; she and her friend rode on my tank pretending to be pirates,” Elliot said. “Then this happens not an hour later.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh said simply.

Elliot frowned. “I’m going to go find the canteen. See if I can’t get a cup of tea... You want me to bring you back anything?”

“No,” Big Macintosh said.

“All right, I’ll be back in a little while,” Elliot said solemnly, hopping off down the corridor.

Big Macintosh went over it in his head; it didn’t make sense to him, but he did know one thing. Applejack had a lot to answer for.

...

Applejack knocked on the door to the Ponyville Library. It swung open to reveal Rainbow Dash standing in the doorway.

“Hi... Rainbow,” Applejack said nervously.

Rainbow was not pleased to see the earth pony mare before her. “What do you want, Applejack?”

“Ah... Ah need ya’lls help. Ah... Ah did somethin’ Ah shouldn’ have,” Applejack said.

Rainbow squinted angrily at Applejack, causing the earth pony to bite her lip.

“I get it now, when we come to you and ask for help, it’s totally okay for you to say no and walk away, but when you need help, it’s totally okay for you to come crawling to us!” Rainbow Dash said angrily. “Go home Applejack.”

Rainbow Dash slammed the door in her face and locked it tightly behind her.

Applejack’s mouth fell open, and she looked down at the ground in shame. Rainbow Dash was right, and she knew it. Applejack had screwed up royally, and now she had nopony to help her with what she’d done.

Unless... Rarity had supported her during the confrontation with Twilight & Co. Maybe she would help.

Applejack walked to the other end of town towards Rarity’s shop and knocked on the door.

Rarity opened the door, looking at the distraught earth pony in front of her.

“Applejack? It’s getting rather late...”

“Ah know... Ah... Ah need your help,” Applejack said in shame. “Can... ah come in?”

“Yes! Of course, please! Come right in!” Rarity said, allowing Applejack passage. “Poor dear, tell me what’s wrong!”

“Ah... got mad,” Applejack said. “At Apple Bloom fer not listin’ ta me... an’ ah hit her, Ah couldn’ stop! Ah hit her, an’ hit her, an’ hit her! Ah... Ah woulda killed her if Big Macintosh hadn’t stopped me!”

What?” called another voice from the room. Sweetie Bell was standing not five metres from the older mares, standing with her mouth open wide in shock. “Apple Bloom is... you did...”

Sweetie Bell’s eyes filled with anger and she gritted her teeth, she galloped across the room and kicked Applejack as hard as her tiny body could muster, the blow landing just at Applejack’s knee, sending the earth pony toppling to the ground.

Applejack’s anger flared. “Why ya little...!” Applejack raised a hoof into the air, causing Sweetie Bell to cringe back in fear.

Applejack!” Rarity called out to her. “What are you doing?”

Applejack snapped back to reality, discovering her hoof floating in the air, she put it down. “Ah... ah...”

“Applejack, I am still your friend,” Rarity said quietly. “But what you just did is unforgiveable. I think you need to go home Applejack.”

Applejack rose to her hooves and departed from the shop without another word.

...

Rainbow slammed the door in Applejack’s face, turning the lock loudly, and storming back upstairs. She pulled the bed sheets back and climbed into bed, still fuming.

“Rainbow?” Twilight asked, rolling over from the other side of the bed to look at her. “Who was it?”

“Applejack,” Rainbow Dash said coldly. “You would not believe her! After what she did when we asked her for her help, she comes crawling back here, and actually has the nerve to ask us for our help! I told her to go home and I shut the door in her face.”

“Rainbow...” Twilight said with a frown, “You shouldn’t have done that! We should have listened to what she had to say! We’re supposed to be the better ponies remember?”

“I don’t care! Applejack can’t treat us like that without consequences!” Rainbow said. “Well there they are!”

“I guess you’re right” Twilight said with a frown. “I have to wonder what she wanted though...”

Rainbow pulled Twilight close to her, planting a small kiss on her muzzle. “It doesn’t matter. Just go back to sleep, you’re adorable when you sleep.”

Twilight smiled, and closed her eyes, soon enough, she and Rainbow both drifted off to sleep.

...

Applejack staggered haphazardly into the barn, the earth pony was drunk off her arse, she’d spent the last hour washing her sorrows in alcohol, but to no avail. No matter how much she drank, she knew that the pain caused by what she had done to Apple Bloom could not go away. She had staggered up the stairs to the barn’s rafters, plopping herself down.

And there it was, sitting next to her; almost beckoning to her was a coil of rope. Applejack picked it up and fashioned one end into a loop. Tears streamed down her face as she drunkenly struggled to tie it. When she was satisfied with it, nearly an hour later and what seemed like endless drunken attempts, she placed the loop around her neck and spent the next hour attempting to tie the other end to the rafter.

Applejack was satisfied with her work she gave the end tied to the rafter a quick tug, it held fast, perfect for its last duty.

“Ah’m sorry Apple Bloom,” Applejack said, tears streaming down the earth pony’s muzzle. “Ah promise ya, Ah’m gonna make up fer it!”

Applejack stood up slowly, nearly falling down again from the drink in her. She looked over the edge of the rafter, took her last deep breath, and jumped.