//------------------------------//
// The Photo 
// Story: Applejack's Sadness 
// by No One Important 
//------------------------------//

	It was evening at Sweet Apple Acers. It had been a long day. Applejack had helped Rainbow Dash with a big stunt, she had help fix a house that the cutiemark crusaders destroyed in a freak bunny stampede, and had helped Twilight organize her books after Spike's Phoenix, Pipsqueak pulled all the books off the shelves in the Golden Oak Library. All in all, it was a really hard day. Granny smith, Big Mac, Applebloom, and Applejack were in the living room an were just about to finish up the day.
"Granny Smith!" Applebloom cried out, "Can we look through the family photo album again!"
"Sure young'un! It's always fun to look through memories." Granny Smith replied as she slowly and shakily walked towards her rocker. She opened the photo album and Applebloom hopped in her lap.
"Big Mac and I want to join too!" Applejack said. "Yup!" Big Mac replied with enthusiasm. She loved to listen to Granny Smith tell stories about their family. Ever since she was a filly she would long for a good Granny Smith style story. They both trotted over to the rocker and looked over her shoulder.
"Oh, look!" Granny exclaimed, "There is a picture of your great auntie Applerose and I playi'n in Manehatten with our cousins! Look how young we were." Granny Smith sighed.
They saw so many other pictures, some from the reunions some from other events or times. As they flipped through Applebloom piped up, "Who are those ponies?" she asked as she pointed to a picture of a mare and stallion with the young Applejack, Big Mac, and a baby filly that resembled Applebloom. All of these emotions came rushing back to AJ.
What! I-I, where did that picture come from? I-I can't believe this, I, oh.
Applejack looked at the photo with tears in her eyes. She grabbed it and ran up to her room, sobbing.
"Wait young'un! Come back!" Granny called after her but it was no use, she couldn't hear her over her crying. Applejack ran into her room, locked the door, and fell on her bed crying. This photo had come as such a shock to her. The timing was horrible she already had enough on her mind right then. She stared at the picture of the mare and stallion.
"Why, why did you have to leave me?" she asked through tears. The mare was beautiful. Her mane was in a perfect braid to the side and the stallion was so strong. Big Mac obviously took after him.
There was a scratching at the door of her room followed by whimpering. AJ slowly got up and walked over to the door. She opened it. "Oh, hi Winona." she sniffed. Winona barked and placed a paw on Applejack's hoof, "You can come in."
Winona hopped up on her bed. AJ flopped herself on the bed and started sobbing again. Winona Whimpered and pawed at AJ's shoulder.
"What is it?" Winona pawed at the picture and cocked her head, "Oh, you were probably to young to remember them. You were just a puppy at the time." she sighed, "They, were, my parents."

...........

The next day nobody had seen AJ. She had left a note that said she was going to be out. The only problem with that was that she was gone for the entire day so far and no matter how hard anypony looked she couldn't be found. Rainbow Dash was helping look for her. She flew over Ponyville scanning for any sign of the orange pony. She finally found the Cutiemark Crusaders who were a part of the search.
"Hey CMCs!" she called out.
"Hey Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo exclaimed happy to see her hero.
"Hi, have you seen any sign of AJ. Anything at all?" she asked.
"No sorry dash. Looks like our pony finding cutiemarks are out. Nopony has seen her! It's almost like she disappeared!" 
"She hasn't disappeared," she said trying to convince herself, "she probably is in the outskirts of town and Nopony has seen her. I'm going to check there." With that she took off and flew towards the hills near the Everfree Forest. She saw a small orange dot on the tallest hill.
"APPLEJACK!" Rainbow let herself free fall towards AJ. Then at the last minute she swooped up and landed by her PFF's side, "AJ! Everypony has been looking for you! we were so worri-" she then saw that her friend was crying. "What's up AJ?"
"I-I don't wana talk about it." She replied bluntly.
"Please, let me know, I want to help yo-"
"No, just, leave me alone."
"Please! I just want to-"
"My parents died alright! You wont understand, you always had your parents."
"Actually, no I haven't." Rainbow said with a tone of sadness in her voice.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I will tell you this as long as you promise never to tell anypony or bring it up." this was obviously really big if she was taking this conversation this seriously so AJ nodded her head. "When I was little my mother died in a flight accident. I was heart broken and actually didn't fly for an entire month! I just want you to know that since you are obviously grieving, if you need somepony to talk to, I'm always here." with that she flew off. Applejack just sat there.
She doesn't understand. At least she has one parent. I was left with none and had to live on this farm with Granny Smith. she thought. The conversation with Rainbow didn't really make her feel better. She looked up in the night sky. Two shooting stars flew across the dark blue abyss leaving a trail of stardust as they went. Applejack sighed. She slowly walked back home as a tear rolled down her cheek.