Applejack did everything she possibly could for her mate. She was over worked between the farm business and providing care for her spouse. She didn't ask Rainbow Dash for help because she felt tremendously guilty. She felt that all of this hard work would be punishment for her accident in the barn.
Sun Rise was eventually able to walk on his own again, but the pain in his back seemed to flare up randomly during the day. One thing was true, that the pain would always be unbearable to him whenever a storm would come or there was high humidity in the air. The pain killers alone were not enough to satisfy the stallion. He began to experiment with alcohol in order to forget his pain and to dull his senses. Applejack didn't like the idea of him drinking. He started off with just a few drinks, but started to become more and more dependent on the liquor.
Applejack noticed that her stallion was starting to become more aggressive. He couldn't hold his liquor very well.
Applejack carefully put down two steaming bowls of vegetable soup that she made. "C'mon sugar cube. Ya gotta come and git it yerself. The Doctors said that ya gotta still move every now and then."
Sun Rise took another sip of his beer. He grinded his teeth in agony as he got up off of the couch and slowly hobbled his way over to the dinner table. He placed his bottle of beer next to the bowl of soup.
Applejack smiled that he was able to get off the couch for the first time without her help.
Sun Rise dug into the bowl. Suffering from chronic pain made him very hungry and he still kept his voracious appetite even though his body was not very active anymore. He suddenly picked his head up from the bowl and looked at Applejack who was blowing on her soup in order to cool it off. "Applejack, did you bring in the crates from all of the pears you bucked off the trees today?"
Applejack stopped blowing on her soup and looked up at him, she had a worried look on her face. "Uh, not yet sugar cube. I was so busy cookin' dinner and cleanin' up that I wasn't able to bring the crates in yet. I don't think I'll have time to bring 'em in tonight."
The stallion took the last few sips from his bottle of beer and squeezed it tightly. He felt sudden rage boil over him and he hurled the empty bottle at Applejack's head with all his might.
Applejack ducked and the glass bottle shattered against the wall. Shards of glass fell into her bowl of soup.
"You idiot! What did I tell you about leaving the crates of fruit out over night! You know that we don't use pesticides and Parasprites will consume most of the food if we don't bring it into the barn! Get out there now you lazy good for nothing pony!"
Applejack sat there for a moment in shock. She slowly got up out of her seat as if she were afraid that he'd hurl something else at her. Never in her life had she imagined her stallion becoming abusive both verbally and physically. He could have seriously hurt her if she hadn't ducked the projectile. She was starving since it had been a while that she eaten, but now her dinner was ruined and she didn't have time to prepare another meal since she still had many chores ahead of her to do. She was suffering from stomach pains because of the hunger. "I-I-I," Applejack stuttered. "I'll git right to it. I'm awfully sorry about that."
The stallion put both of his front hooves to his head in agony and Applejack quickly left the table and went outside. Applejack backed her flank up to the side of the house and slid down to the ground against the wall. She took off her hat and began to sob uncontrollably into it. The life that she had happily dreamed of was now starting to become a nightmare. She heard thunder in the distance and sensed that a mighty storm was headed her way. She would have to move fast if she wanted to get her job done before the storm would strike.
As Applejack pushed in the last crate, torrents of rain began to pour from the sky. Applejack got soaking wet and rushed inside the house before any lighting would be a possible danger to her. Applejack grabbed a towel and dried herself off. She cautiously walked through the house hoping not to upset Sun Rise anymore. As she was about to walk into the kitchen, she noticed that Sun Rise was standing at the refrigerator with yet another bottle of beer. Applejack quickly tried to hide her body behind the corner, but Sun Rise already caught glimpse of her.
"Applejack! What are you doing?" the stallion demanded to know.
Applejack took a deep breath and slowly turned the corner. "I just finished bringin' in the pears, hun. It's gettin' really late and we should hit the hay. Do ya think that maybe ya might consider quittin' alcohol? I think it may be gettin' to ya. I'm really scared of what it might be doin' to ya right now."
Sun Rise became filled with rage. "I can quit any time I want to!" he cried out. "I just don't feel like doing it now! You're not going to bed until you finish the dishes!"
Applejack looked over at the sink that still had quite a few dishes in them. She tried to do as many as she could after cooking dinner, but it was just so much work. "Hun, I just don't have it in me to do them right now. Please let me do them tomorrow, my body is aching in pain from the work and I'm starvin'. Please don't be angry with me. I'm doin' the best I can."
Sun Rise came over and looked down at her. "Do what you're told Applejack!"
Applejack noticed that his body was shaking. It could have been from the pain, or it could have been from the rage. Maybe it was a combination of both. She gulped and began to wash the dishes, even though she was so fatigued and that staying up any later would seriously set her back for tomorrows work.
Sun Rise leaned over and said in Applejack's ear, "I wouldn't have any problems or anger issues if it wasn't for you ruining my life."
Tears began to form in Applejack's eyes. As if she didn't feel bad enough for the accident that happened in the barn, this made her feel that much worse. She took off her hat and burrowed her face in it for a moment.
Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering could be heard and Applejack fell to the floor at the hooves of Sun Rise. Sun Rise had become so enraged, that he was out of beer that he smashed his glass bottle over her head. Blood gushed from head and she couldn't move. She never would have guessed that this day would come where he would hit her. She laid there dazed on the floor surrounded by broken glass and she did not get up. Her head was killing her, but she refused to move because she was afraid that he might hit her again.
Sun Rise looked down at the fallen pony in disgust and then stomped out of the room and went to bed.
Meanwhile, at Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie Pie tossed and turned in her sleep. She was having a terrible nightmare. She suddenly shot up out of bed and began to cry. Her Pinkie senses told her that Applejack was in major danger and she was being hurt badly. Suddenly, her mane and tail lost the puffiness and flattened out. Pinkie Pie rushed over to the window and looked out of it as she put her hoof on the glass. "Applejack, I'm coming for you," she said with tears in her eyes.
Eventually, Applejack picked herself up and cleaned up the mess that Sun Rise had made and then she finished washing the dishes. When she looked at the clock, it was already morning and she only had a couple of hours to sleep before she would be forced to get up and work the fields again. She simply washed the gash in her head and put some bandages on the wound. The last thing she wanted to do was get their bed stained with blood and give him another reason to lash out at her. Applejack slowly opened the door and peeked inside. Her partner was already fast asleep. She tip-hoofed over to the bed and very quietly laid down and got under the blankets. Under the moon light she could see Sun Rise's face. It pained her heart so much to look at him. She knew that deep down inside that this wasn't the real him. The real Sun Rise was a sweet and loving pony who loved her unconditionally. She turned her body away from him and looked up at the moon. She said a prayer, hoping that somehow, Sun Rise would be able to stop drinking and that his pain would go away. Applejack softly cried herself to sleep. In a couple of hours would be the start of another traumatic day.