Day Two
Dear Diary,
Sorry bout yesterday, it was pretty late. But now I should start telling y'all about the day that changed my life.
I had a humble beginnin', and I was the youngest foal at my first apple family reunion! Why, if I had eaten any more apple fritters I'd turn into one of them darn thangs myself! Anyways, I had always been the filly to follow in Ma's exact hoof steps. Back when I was younger, we mares didn't run the farm. We ran the household. Everythang was looking up for me as I learned how to cook zap apples. I learned how to cook any meal at all! An' their all memorized. No recipe cards for the Apples! Mostly cause I didn't know how to read or write and also cause we couldn't even afford the cheapest quill at the Quill and Sofa store just in town. I spent my days ironin' work clothes, polishin' the fancy new plow we had bought with all of our darned savin's, and sweepin' the livin' room floor. Me and Ma were so close some ponies would say that we knew each other so well that even a minute apart would lead to separation anxiety like there's no tomorrow! Sometimes I smell Ma's cheap Earth pony perform in the hallways. It might've been cheap, but it's smell was the most delectable smell that I can still only think of today. It smelled like candy mixed with sugar, mixed with cinnamon and sometimes it even smells like a sweet ocean breeze from the cleanest beaches at Manehatten. I wonder if Ma could see me now. I can just picture her frizzled cherry-red mane, tied up in a bow like my Granny Smith, and her light yellow colorin' just like Apple Bloom's coat faded from stress. Why she'd have a few words to say about a mare runnin' the farm. After all, it was what Granny raised her to be.
The thang that changed my life was right after Apple Bloom was a born. She was only weeks old when IT happened.
I was ridin' in that carriage with them. I don't know if the driver was drinkin' hard cider or something, but I knew something was off by the dirt on his coat and the smell of his breath. His eyes were all clouded real nice and good, and his mane warn't as purdy and tidy as a pro carriage rider's should've been. The stallions that were workin' for him were a little doozy too. I didn't know until afterwards that they had spent all night drinkin' in Appleloosa's Salt and Water bar.
I remember carryin' Apple Bloom in my lap. We were close as two sisters could be. I also remember Big Mac on the side of me. He was starin' just as vacantly outta his window as I was mine. I loved watchin' them trees roll by in a blur of green and brown. I loved how all the trees seemed slower when you looked at 'em a little past the edge of the window in front a you, and how they faster behind you. The carriage warn't in its best condition, but I didn't mind the fresh breeze rollin' in from the holes in the top. It smelled like fire and it smelled like sawdust and sweat and hard work. Just like home did. I knew we were nearin' our Apple Farm, havin' come back from Appleloosa's openin' run by cousin Braeburn's Ma and Pa.
Ma was sittin' by Pa, and they were holding hooves and talking about som'thin. I don't really remember what anymore. All I know is the fear in Ma's eyes as all of us felt the bumpy feel of grass underneath them wheels. The driver jumped off long before we sure did, and somehow the reins for the stallions pullin' us got loose. We were a runaway carriage streamin' along a downhill cliffside, and headed for Ghastly Gorge. We were supposed to be goin' straight to Sweet Apple Acres, but I'd been guessin' that the driver and the riders were guzzlin' down that hard cider pretty fast. I remember Pa tellin' Big Mac to watch over us all and make sure that Apple Bloom is okay. When not one of us understood, Pa threw me his Stetson and Ma was screamin' at us to jump to git out. NOW! she would scream louder than Celestia's royal Canterlot voice itself. I wrapped baby Apple Bloom tighter in the blanket and soon we reached the ground. I crushed hard into that gravel-like soil. It crunched underneath me and I felt like I fell onta broken glass. I heard a clash as Big Mac landed beside me and a cold fear ran through me when I didn't hear two other lumps. A large, loud crashin' noise sounded from the bottom of the gorge. It shuddered me to my very bones. I knew that it was the worst.
I tightened my saddle pack and tied baby AB to it. She fell asleep to the canterin' of my hooves as I raced down the sideways path of the gorge. I ran towards the wreckage. Dust still plumed into the air like a poisonous fog makin' everythang hard to see. The carriage was splintered and broken apart. I only saw one moving figure comin' out a that doorway. It scared me half to death. I watched the pony pull itself up. It cantered around, yellin' for somepony.
"Apple Bloom! Applejack! Big Mac!" the feminine voice shouted.
"Ma!" I'd call back. "Ma!"
We ran towards each other. I hugged her dusty, yellow coat. I felt something red and sticky on my hooves. I didn't bother lookin' at something that I already knew what it was. I just hugged Ma tighter. Pa's Stetson was rested on my head. Big Mac had managed to follow me down the cliff side, so he raced to the main part of the carriage. The curly designs were mere splinters now.
I got outta my hug with Ma at the sight. I took off my saddle pack and gave baby AB to Ma and then I raced ta see what Big Mac was a doin'. I saw him lookin' through the wreckage.
"Pa!" he called in his unusually deep voice. "Pa! I need you ta answer me Pa!"
But nothin' came in his reply. My eyes grew wide and frightful at this. I started tearin' apart the carriage, which wrecked up my hooves mighty fine. I yelled through the wood, through the splinters, yet Pa didn't answer still. Eventually, me and Mac took apart all of the wood and just found Pa's weddin' ring. The thunderous sound of Buffalo hooves came from my left. Somethin' was a draggin' on the ground beneath it. I got all prepped up to run after it, but Big Mac took my shoulder and held me back. I had to stare at him with anger just so he could see my anguish, but his face softened me. I had never seen Big Mac cry. Not until now. The tears ran down his face. I could remember the times that I played with Pa when I was younger. We warn't that close, but his death still hit me like a ton of bricks. Never once had the Apple family dealt with sum-thin' like this. All of our relatives died as old ladies in their beds! I warn't even 10 years old at the time! I kept on mutterin' to myself that everything was gonna be alright, that at least Ma was okay!
I ran back over to her, carryin' Pa's weddin' ring underneath his Stetson still on my head. Big Mac came runnin' after me. He was mighty strong, but he definitely warn't as fast as I was. I told Ma all about Pa. How we tore apart the luggage, and how that darned Buffalo stole him.
Ma's face was angry at first. Her cheeks grew redder than a cherry tree and she looked like she was gonna burst into flames, but what she did surprised me. She crumbled to the ground like pebbles in an avalanche. I didn't know what ta think when my own Ma started cryin' on the ground. Her eyes were wide and red and puffy, and she was cryin' like nothin' else mattered. She had tear stains on her face and she looked like she was just gonna keep on cryin' and not worry bout nuttin else. I didn't like seein' Ma like this. She was all broken down for the strong mare that I had known. Me and Mac only watched as Ma stood there a cryin' until them ambulances came. They pretended that everythang was gonna be alright as they took Ma into that carriage. She started screamin' for Pa, yellin' out his name so loud it hurt my ears just ta listen.
Ma was never the same after that. She... she....
I... I'm so sorry, I can't do this, I just can't. Let me gather my emotions and I'll write more after that. I thank tomorra will be just fine. Good night, Dear Diary
Honestly,
Applejack
P.S.
This journal I'm writin' in used to be hers. Don't let go of the past, I'd tell myself. But Ma comes to me at night. Transparent and whatnot. She tucks me in and tells me that everything will be fine. Twi just tells me that I'm hallucinatin'. That my Ma ain't really still livin' here. But I know that Ma's spirit won't leave here until the Apple family does. Which means that I ain't leavin' either.
Applejack