//------------------------------// // Chapter 39: Flashback // Story: The Day My Life Ended // by Authora97 //------------------------------// Applejack looked around the clearing. She could tell immediately that it was deep within the Everfree Forest, hearing a timberwolf howl only made her want to get out faster. Looking around, the farmer noticed a worn path. The mare followed the path, noticing with each few trots she was closer and closer to the edge of the forest. In fact, if she looked in the right direction she could see some of Ponyville. Applejack knew where she was now and ran towards the farm. Home. When the scent of apple hit her muzzle, Applejack grinned. It had been awhile since she smelled apples and the feeling of earth beneath her hooves. With the apple trees in her sights, Applejack ran into the farm towards the large barn she called home. “Ah’m home everypony!” Applejack shouted when she pushed the door open. “APPLEJACK!” The voices of her three family members yelled. Within minutes, a large red stallion, a yellow filly and an aged green mare came before her, greeting Applejack with a large group hug. After a few minutes, the hug slowly faded and four Apples stood and said their hellos. “Applejack, it’s good ta see ya, ya whippersnapper.” Granny Smith said. “Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed in his monotone voice. “It’s great that yer back Applejack!” Apple Bloom cheered, giving her big sister another hug. “Ah’s just thinking bout what ta wear when Ah see Babs Seed!” Soon after saying that, the small red and yellow filly ran up to her room. Remembering she still needed to get dressed. Applejack gave a small chuckle, Apple Bloom was just a little ball a energy. “So where ya been Applejack?” Granny Smith asked. The orange mare stopped, what could she tell them? “You don’t have to lie. You’re holding back the truth. If the subject comes up give short answer. Long ones just dig you a bigger grave. See ya later Applejack.” That was what Morgan told her before she left, and Applejack knew the teen was good at lying. Nearly getting Applejack, the Element of Honesty, to believe them. Taking a deep breath, she turned to her family. “Ah went ta help mah friends with somethin’, it got a little hectic. Then Ah’s membered Ah had ta pick up Babs Seed today, so they let me come back ta the farm. But I have to go back ta the mission once Babs Seed leaves Ponyville.” Applejack explained. She felt kinda bad, giving her family half-truths. How did Morgan do this everyday? “Ah shucks, that’s a darn shame, ain’t it Big Macintosh?” Granny Smith asked, poking her elbow into her grandson. “Eeyup.” He said. Applejack nodded, then looked over at the time. “What is that filly doin’?” She grumbled before trotting up the stairs to check on Apple Bloom. She pushed the door open, Applejack saw the whole room covered in clothes and Apple Bloom standing on her bed wearing a sailor getup. “Scoot yer boot Apple Bloom, it’s not like it’s the Harvest Day Parade. We’re jest goin’ ta the Train Station.” Applejack explained. Apple Bloom wasn’t listening, she was trying to find the perfect outfit. Pulling the curtain on her bed down and changing into a new outfit each time. “Too casual, too summer...” Applejack appeared next to her sister as she donned a winter’s cap. “Yer cousin isn’t gonna care bout what yer wearin’. Just pick somethin’!” Applejack pleaded. Apple Bloom picked up her bed sheet, using it as a cloak and wearing a strange set of sunglasses. “But this is mah first time meetin’ her and she’s from Manehattan! Ah wanna make a good impression!” Apple Bloom reasoned. “Ya know what would make a good impression?” Applejack said, getting angry. “What?” “Gettin’ there on time ta pick her up!” Applejack yanked on the sheet and began to drag her younger sister away from the room. The filly managed to escape and donned a pink sun hat. “Ya got nothin’ ta worry bout sugarcube, y’all are gonna get along great!” The farmer encouraged. “Ya already have somethin’ in common.” Now, Apple Bloom was wearing; a tie on her tail, a fruit hat, a purple bow with flowers spots, a feather earing, a blue shoe, a red sock, a watch, glasses with different shades, an orange bow around her neck and a snorkel in her mouth. Applejack could hear a muffled what’s that. “Neither a ya have yer cutiemark.” Applejack removed the blue cloth that had been thrown onto her. “WHAT? How could ya forget ta tell me somethin’ like that!” The random outfit was taken off her sister, the filly ran out the room. Leaving it a chaotic mess. “Ya know yer cousin is supposed ta sleep in here!” Applejack yelled out at the filly, who was out to get her two friends. Looking out at the mess, Applejack had one thought. “Wonder what Morgan meant when she said it’d be a Crusader episode.” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo waited at the train station with Apple Bloom’s sister, Applejack. They were skipping around in excitement over the new blank flank coming to town, of course Sweetie Belle was still concerned on her sister’s whereabouts. Applejack had explained that Rarity was safe where she was, Rainbow Dash too. The orange pegasus felt better, knowing her idol was safe. But, then again, RainboW Dash was too awesome to be in trouble anyway. When the Friendship Express pulled into town, Apple Bloom excitedly looked in every window for her cousin. Waiting until one dark brown filly with cherry red hair and bright green eyes exited the train. “Babs! Babs! It’s me! Yer cousin, Apple Bloom!” The yellow filly cheered, up close to her cousin. Her two friends came close. “And this is Sweetie Belle and this is Scootaloo! And we are so, so glad yer here!” The three fillies went back and forth in front of the taller filly’s face. “Thanks, I’m happy ta be here-” Babs said, kinda weirded out from what just happened. “This gonna be the best week of yer life!” Sweetie Belle cheered, interrupting Babs Seed. “Sure hope it’s gonna be.” Babs said. “Seriously, we’re gonna have a blast!” Scootaloo cheered from ontop of Sweetie Belle. Applejack laughed while picking up her cousin’s suitcase. It was nice to see those fillies happy. So once Scootaloo placed her orange hooves over Babs Seed’s eyes, they guided her to the clubhouse. “Ah give you...The Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse!” Apple Bloom cheered as Babs Seed could see again. “The Cutiemark Crusaders?” Babs said questioningly. “The Club devoted to helping ponies get their cutiemarks!” Scootaloo explained, showing off her, Sweetie and Apple Bloom’s blank flanks. Babs’ eyes widdened, she covered her flank with her tail on instinct. “We’re it’s founding members!” Scootaloo went on. “Our fourth members is on a trip with some long, lost family member but she would be glad to see you!” Sweetie Belle explained, not knowing the truth behind Lilac’s disappearance. “We’re always looking to expand and you seem like the perfect candidate!” Apple Bloom explained to her cousin. “I do?” Babs said, starting to get worried. “Well yeah.” Scootaloo said, trotting up to Babs. “Cause you don’t have a cutiemark and all.” Babs eyes widened again, she pushed away fromt Scootaloo. “Ah, yeah.” Babs blew some mane out of her eyes. “dat.” Apple Bloom went on to give Babs a tour of the small clubhouse, from the Roll-Call section with four drawings of their heads, the eating table and the thinking place. The Crusaders gathered around the Thinking Place, thinking of more ways to impress Babs. This, led to them showing off their large pumpkin float for the Parade. On the walk there, Babs brought up a small point. “Youz said youz gotta fourth Crusader. Where’s she?” Babs asked. “Oh? Lilac went off with some uncle a hers. Somethin’ bout him wantin’ ta ‘sprise her momma.” Apple Bloom explained. “She’s really nice!” Sweetie exclaimed. “And even though she can’t get her cutie mark she still likes hanging out with us!” “Can’t get her cutiemark?” Babs asked. “Yeah, she’s kinda a dragon but that doesn’t stop her from Crusading.” Scootaloo explained, her wings buzzing slightly to help her rush towards the barn. Babs was surprised, her cousin was friends with a dragon? When she saw the large pumpkin float, and was introduced to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, it got a little more confusing. “More like a lame-kin.” Diamond Tiara said, laughing at the three fillies. “And look Silver Spoon, it was so lame that the little crybaby ditched their group.” Diamond Tiara laughed. “Lilac was a crybaby!” Apple Bloom defended. “Yeah right Apple Blank. The little baby always cried out to her mommy. Boo-who.” Diamond Tiara mocked, beginning to notice Babs Seed. “And looks, they’re already searching for replacement Losers. Who’s the new blank-flank?” “That’s mah cousin! Babs, she’s from Manehattan!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, trying to show up Diamond Tiara. “Manehattan huh? I suppose you have that going for you.” Diamond teased. “Supposed you’re going to join their little club. What was it? The Cutie Mark Crusaders?” Silver Spoon joined in. Both groups looked at Babs expectantly, one waiting to wrap their hooves around her in friendship, the other waiting for when they could laugh their tails off at her. “More like the Cutie Mark Crybabies.” Babs mocked, siding with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Soon after, their float was wrecked. One their missing friend helped build. Once the three left the barn, the Crusaders argued over what actions to take next. Leading to the crusaders feeling defeated. Hours later, the Crusaders were still wondering what to do. They had sung there song, lost the clubhouse and eventually just went to stay at Sweetie Belle’s while the talked over what to do next. Then, the plan for Revenge came to be. The next night was spent, building the giant golden apple for the Harvest Day Parade, which went on without a cabbage float. But then, the next day, after Applejack explained the situation in Manehattan, the Crusaders felt awful. “So that’s why she jumped in when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon started giving us a hard time.” Scootaloo explained. “She didn’t wanna be bullied like at home so she decided to be a bully instead.” “And now we’ve turned into bullies too!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed as they watched the flat go towards the head of the parade. “WHAT’LL DO?!” The Crusaders yelled out. As they ran to try and catch up with Babs, they hitched a ride an abandoned cabbage float. They somehow managed to reach the float in time and save Babs from total humiliation. After that, the Crusaders and Babs Seed apologized. They initiated Babs Seed into the Club and sent her back home to start a Manehattan Branch. They also, told Babs that next time she came to town, Lilac would be waiting to meet her and accept her with open hooves...err claws. Especially after Lilac hears about Babs tossing Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon in the mud. Later that very same day, as Applejack got to workin’ the farm, a familiar voice rang out. “APPLEJACK!” The farm mare looked around, knowing that voice and what it meant. She looked back onto her family’s farm and then towards the entryway of the farm. “AH’M COMIN’ RASPBERRY!” Applejack called out. “HURRY UP! I DON’T HAVE ALL DAY!” Raspberry/Morgan yelled out. Before any more yells could be shared, the farming mare trotted up to the gate. When Applejack arrived, the other Apple siblings came behind her. “Had a fun couple of days?” Raspberry asked her. Applejack nodded her orange head, a smile still proud on her face. “Fantastic, we still need your help back home...” Little Apple Bloom looked at Applejack with confusion and sadness. “Why’r ya leavin’ ‘gain Applejack?” Applejack was staring at Apple Bloom with a sad look in her eyes. “Applejack...” Raspberry/Morgan pleaded. “Sorry, but Ah need ta go with Raspberry. She needs help and we Apples can’t turn down a friend in need.” Applejack explained to her siblings before turning the teenage mare’s dark pink head so she wasn’t looking into Apple Bloom’s sad eyes. “Yeah, Yeah, sad break-up. Can we get moving before they start crying?” A dark mare like voice said, coming from Raspberry but not sounding like Raspberry. It was silent for a second before everypony noticed the second voice coming out of my muzzle. “What was-” Apple Bloom started. “OH! Would you look at the time! Applejack we must hurry!” Raspberry quickly lied before grabbing Applejack’s orange hoof and dashed off. The two mares went off a far enough distance to not be spotted by any pony. The pink mare grabbed Applejack and the two slowly faded away as if they didn’t exist at all. Back in Hollywood, 2004, a doll with curly black hair was watching a red haired doll tie a woman with a very large belly to a bed. Looking next to the bed, she noticed a doll looking similar to herself assisting the red haired doll tie to woman to the bed. Of course, the red hed then tried to fondle the woman. “What the hell is going on in here?” A blonde doll in a white dress asked the two dolls, while applying more hairspray. “Those idiots thought it would be a good idea to tie up Ms. Tilly to keep her mouth shut. I had no part in it.” The curly haired doll explained, holding her hands up in a defensive position. “HELP ME! PLEASE!” Jennifer TIlly pleaded. She was cut off as Chucky stuffed socks into her mouth, letting a picture of himself, Glen, Darcy and a man with his face melted off. “What the hell is this?” Tiffany asked. “Darce, you care to explain?” Morgan taunted. “So Chucky and I took the kid out, so what?” Darcy tried to explain to Tiffany. “The kid’s a natural Tiff!” Chucky reasoned. “We had an agreement Chucky! We decided for the sake our child! We weren’t gonna do this shit anymore!” Tiffany yelled angrily. “No! You decided! Just like you decided our son was a girl!” Chucky yelled. Morgan let out a groan, they were gonna argue about that again? Not wanting to deal with the arguing dolls and their lackey, Morgan went off to find the newest member of the doll group. Turns out, she didn’t need to. “YOU’RE TEARING ME APART!” Glen/Glenda yelled. “This is better than any shit we had back home huh Morgue?” The straight haired doll asked Morgan, who was facepalming. “Darcy, for once in your life shut up.” Morgan ordered, somehow being heard over the arguing. Darcy just laughed, ignoring her sister and the strange looks they were all getting from Jennifer Tilly. Without another word, Morgan walked out of the room. Eager to get away before she went crazy. All the while, picturing her little Lilac, safe and sound back in Ponyville.