Sneaking past Applejack and Granny Smith—that was the easy part. Her big brother was a bit trickier. Big Mac was hauling stuff out of the barn. That meant Apple Bloom had to wait for Big Mac to duck in, run and hide behind a tree, and wait for him to come back out. Then, when he'd go back in, she'd move again. It took several cycles, but, finally, Apple Bloom was out of sight of the farmhouse.
She giggled to herself once she had successfully snuck away. With her sister cooking and Big Mac doing...whatever it was he was doing, nopony would even notice she was gone for hours! Her rush from sneaking away was quickly shattered as she finally got an unobstructed view of Ponyville.
It wasn't there.
Grey pillars of smoke rose up from blackened husks that were only occasionally accented by a splash of color from a pony. Apple Bloom stumbled into town, transfixed on the charred skeletons of homes and businesses. Many of the ponies were outside of the charred areas. Those that lingered amongst the ashes were anything but the normal, cheerful ponies typical of Ponyville. Most of them were just sitting in front of a charred skeleton of a house, staring at nothing. The rest were crying, or talking, or shouting.
It was really like she wasn't even in Ponyville at all. However, as Apple Bloom trekked through, the damage eased until it seemed as though she had stepped into the Ponyville she remembered. And, like an oasis, there was the schoolhouse, untouched by the blaze.
Inside, she found a classroom devoid of fillies and colts. The only other pony that was there was Cheerilee. The instant she walked in, Cheerilee put on a smile and trotted out from behind her desk.
"Apple Bloom," she greeted. "You know, we aren't having any classes today, but I'm here for anypony that might need to talk to me."
"Where is everypony?"
Cheerilee shook her head. "They're with their families, Apple Bloom. I'm sure you've seen-seen what happened here in town. How are the Apples?"
"My sister an' Granny're cooking up a feast to bring here to help out. Not sure what Big Mac's doin'."
Smiling at Apple Bloom, she continued, "That's good to hear. I'm glad you're all okay."
Apple Bloom looked up at Cheerilee. "Is everypony here okay?"
Cheerilee's smile melted away as her ears drooped. "You-you've seen what it's like out there, right?" She sat down next to Apple Bloom, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "Half of the ponies in Ponyville have lost their homes—everything they own—overnight. Nopony in Ponyville is okay. Even those that didn't lose their homes are bending over backwards to help those that are suffering."
"Wh-what about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?"
Cheerilee bit her lip a moment. "Well, Apple Bloom," she said, choosing her words carefully, "I don't know about most of your classmates. Only a few have come in and...I haven't gotten word about most of them. I haven't heard anything about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle."
"Do you think they're okay?"
Shaking her head, Cheerilee sighed. She took a step back and used a hoof to make Apple Bloom look at her. "I won't lie to you, I'm worried," she spoke slowly and seriously. "I did hear that one of your classmates got hurt in the fires."
"Who? Are-are they all right?" Apple Bloom asked, her voice wavering.
"It was Silver Spoon," Cheerilee explained, shaking her head a bit, "and, no, she's not okay." She finally broke eye contact with her, looking away and sighing. Mustering her nerve, she locked eyes with Apple Bloom again. "Silver Spoon...passed away last night."
Apple Bloom's mouth fell open as her thoughts stopped dead. She just sat there for several seconds before the urge to breathe spurred the gears in her mind to mesh again.
Turning her head, she fixated on the desk next to hers. Yesterday, just yesterday, Silver Spoon was sitting right there, making her life miserable. She was...gone?
Finding it hard to remember to breathe, she looked to the other empty desks. If Silver Spoon was gone, who else might she never see again? "I-I gotta go find Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle!"
In a flash, she was galloping out of the classroom. Cheerilee called after her, "Stay away from the burned areas! They're too dangerous!"
Cheerilee's protests fell on deaf ears. Apple Bloom headed straight back to the ash-strewn streets. Sweetie Belle's parent's house was close, and that was smack-dab in the middle of the disaster.
Apple Bloom only slowed down when Sweetie's house came into view. Some houses burned to nothing but piles of ashes, others managed to become charred skeletons. Sweetie's house still stood. The roof had burned away and caved in, but the walls stood defiant. The sight had her in such a daze that she didn't notice the small crowd of ponies gathered in front of it until she accidently bumped into one of them.
Shaking off the blow, the looked around at the ponies. Gathered there were a few royal guards, a couple of ponies in white adorned with red crosses, and a few bystanders. They were circled around two shapes with sheets draped over them. Apple Bloom only got to see them for a couple of seconds before a royal guard noticed her. He quickly stepped in front of her, obscuring her view.
"Hey! This is no place for a filly!" he said in a gravelly voice.
The other ponies quickly moved to corral her away from the scene. "It's Apple Bloom," Roseluck said, walking her away. "I'll see her home."
"Wh-what's goin' on?" Apple Bloom demanded, constantly looking back over her shoulder. "Where's Sweetie Belle?"
"Sweetie Belle...Sweetie Belle was taken to the hospital last night," Rose said, struggling to keep her voice steady. "You don't need to worry about her, she'll-she's going to be okay. All right?" Once they had gotten out of sight of Sweetie's house, Rose stopped. "Now, can I trust you to get back to Sweet Apple Acres on your own?"
Apple Bloom shook her head. "I ain't goin'! If Sweetie's at the hospital, then I'm goin' there! An' I still gotta figure out if Scootaloo is okay!"
Rose quickly moved to cut Apple Bloom off. "No," she firmly denied. "Fillies have no business being here, and they won't let you in the hospital, either. Go. Home."
Apple Bloom stared her down for some time. Rose never faltered. "F-fine!" Apple Bloom shouted. She turned around and started heading in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.
A short distance later, and Apple Bloom chanced a look back. Rose was still watching her. "Ugh!" she groaned, resuming her march. "I ain't just some helpless little filly," she muttered.
By the time lunchtime started to roll around, Applejack was already on her way towards Ponyville with a huge cart of apple treats. She'd made it about halfway towards Ponyville when she came across an odd sight. Sitting there, under a tree just off the path, was her little sister. She glanced over to Ponyville before looking back to Apple Bloom.
"Now here I thought I told yah not to leave yer room," Applejack spoke up, unhitching herself from the cart.
Apple Bloom shook her head a bit, her gaze never lifting from the ground. "Yah said not to leave the farm."
"Didn't I tell yah not to leave the farm?" she restated, sitting down next to Apple Bloom.
"Yeah," Apple Bloom muttered.
Applejack sighed, draping a hoof over Apple Bloom's withers. "I didn't just worry 'cause it ain't safe. In a situation like this… There's a lotta stuff a filly just ain't got no business seein'."
"Yeah."
"Yah wanna talk about what yah saw?" she pressed.
Apple Bloom started to shake her head, but stopped before looking up at her big sister. "Miss Cheerilee...she said that Silver Spoon-Silver Spoon died."
Applejack rubbed Apple Bloom's back. "I'm sorry, sugarcube," she muttered. "I know it ain't easy losin' somepony yah care about."
"But I don't… I didn't care that much about her," Apple Bloom admitted, keeping her gaze on her hooves and the grass between them. "Diamond Tiara an' Silver Spoon were always makin' fun of us an' bein' mean. Now I just… I'm scared." She looked up as tears began to spill over. "They said that Sweetie Belle's in the hospital, but that I can't go see her! An' I don't even know about Scootaloo or anypony else!"
Applejack wrapped her forelegs around her little sister, drawing her into a firm hug. "I know, Apple Bloom. Dash told me this mornin' that Rarity was in the hospital. I been worried sick ever since." Apple Bloom just kept sobbing into Applejack's shoulder. "Tell yah what, why don't yah come with me to Ponyville. We can find out together just how everypony's doin'. It's just...you gotta be prepared to get more bad news." Pulling her sister away, she looked her in the eye. "Can yah handle that? If yah can, I'll bring yah along."
Apple Bloom sniffed, swiping at her eyes. "I just… Yeah, I think so," she muttered, nodding.
"Come on," Applejack insisted, getting up. "If peace of mind is what yah need, we'll go an' get it."
With her little sister in tow, Applejack headed towards Ponyville. It didn't take the duo long to approach the charred streets. "This...this is awful," Applejack muttered as she trudged through the ashes.
"Yeah," Apple Bloom muttered.
"Are yah sure yer okay?" Applejack asked, looking over her shoulder to her little sister.
It took Apple Bloom a couple of seconds to pry her eyes off of the ruined buildings. "I-I need to know if they're okay."
Applejack bit her tongue. Maybe it weren't such a good idea to bring her along.
Before she knew it, Applejack was approaching a large crowd of ponies as she neared the center of town. She easily found the pony she was looking for; Twilight was standing in the middle of the commotion. "Hey, Twi!" Applejack shouted as she neared. "Did RD tell yah I was comin'?"
"Applejack," Twilight greeted, a weary smile gracing her muzzle. "Rainbow Dash said that you were bringing food."
"Yep, an' I wanted to let yah know that Big Mac's clearin' out the barn. By this evenin' I figure we'll be able to put up a couple of dozen ponies," Applejack explained. "How is everypony? Yah don't look so good yerself."
Twilight shook her head. "I'm just a little tired," she dismissed, "though I am glad to hear that you and the rest of the Apple family are helping out." Her gaze fixed on the filly next to Applejack. "You, uh, you brought Apple Bloom with you? Do you really think that's wise?"
Applejack sighed. "Apple Bloom done run off here on her own," she explained. "Now she's gone an' worried herself sick about 'er friends."
Twilight grimaced at the news. "Uh, hey! We've got relief stands set up over here. Let's get your apple treats out here where everypony can come and get them." She hastily led Applejack over to a nearly barren food stand. Instead of levitating Applejack's baked goods off of the cart, she joined the farmer in offloading the apple dishes by hoof.
Applejack glanced back to see Apple Bloom sitting there where they left her. She wasn't sure if she'd picked up that Twilight wanted to talk to her alone or if she was just so out of it that she didn't notice them walk over to the stand. "Is it that bad?" she asked.
"Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are both in the hospital," Twilight revealed, keeping her voice low. "I don't really know the details, but Rainbow Dash seemed really worried about it. And if Rainbow Dash is that worried… It can't be good."
"I was afraid of somethin' like that." Applejack paused in efforts to unload the wagon as she looked back to Apple Bloom. "What am I supposed to tell her?"
"Just tell her that they're in the hospital and that they're going to be okay," Twilight suggested.
"Are they?"
Twilight shook her head. "I...don't know."
Applejack looked to the half-empty cart and urged Twilight to stop unloading, "Wait, I...I know what I'm gonna do. Twilight, can I trust yah to watch after Apple Bloom for a bit?" Receiving a nod from Twilight, she hitched herself back to the cart and marched over to Apple Bloom. "Are yah gonna be okay if I leave yah here with Twilight?" she asked, nudging the catatonic filly.
"Is it bad?" she asked, looking up at Applejack with big, watery eyes.
Applejack sighed. "Twilight said that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were both in the hospital, but we don't know how well they're doin'," she explained, putting a hoof on Apple Bloom's shoulder. "I'm goin' there right now. I'll force my way in if I have to, but I'm hoping a bribe'll do," she said, motioning over her shoulder at the remaining apple treats. "I'll come an' tell yah what I find out as soon as possible, all right?"
"Okay," Apple Bloom said, nodding.
It didn't take Applejack long to get to the hospital, and, with half a cart of treats behind her, she quickly received a hero's welcome. Giving the nurses permission to distribute the baked goods to the staff, patients, and family, Applejack made her way to the front desk. To her surprise, the nurse gave her a pass without any trouble at all and told her to head up to the third floor.
The next thing she knew, Applejack found herself just outside Scootaloo's hospital room. The sight before her nearly made her smile. The little filly lied there in her bed, and Rainbow Dash had her head resting in her hooves. Both of them appeared to be fast asleep.
She stood there for a short time before a doctor started by. Applejack was quick to catch him. "Pardon, but can yah tell me how this filly's doin'?" she requested, pointing over to Scootaloo.
The tawny unicorn nodded. He poked his head into the room a moment before quietly moving over to Scootaloo's bedside. He checked the monitors there and consulted the chart. He took a moment to scribble in something before replacing it and heading back to Applejack.
"Well, I can't say it's looking very promising," he said, sighing.
"How bad is it, doc? Is she gonna be okay?"
He rubbed his neck. "Well, at this point it's hard to say," he revealed. "She's unconscious, and she is not responding well. There are no signs of improvement since she was brought in early this morning."
"Wh-what does that mean?" Applejack asked, looking back over at the motionless filly.
"She's breathing on her own, which is good," he explained, "but other than that, she isn't very responsive. Her life isn't in immediate danger. However, if things don't improve, she may not wake up."
Applejack stared slack-jawed a moment before shaking off her shock. "Th-there's nothin' yah can do?"
He shook his head. "At this point, all there is to do is to watch and wait. I'm very sorry," he said, patting Applejack on the shoulder before trotting off into a nearby room.
Applejack's gaze lingered on the two pegasi for some time before she sighed, shaking her head a bit. Prying herself away, she trotted through the hall looking for the other ponies she came to visit. Brushing past nurses and visitors, she stopped dead when a particular sound pricked her ears. It was a soft, familiar wailing.
Following her ears, Applejack found Rarity and Sweetie Belle in the same room. Both ivory unicorns were stained grey. Sweetie Belle was no different from Scootaloo. She lied, motionless, in her bed.
But Rarity, Rarity was awake. She was gripping a pillow tight to her face, crying. It wasn't like anything Applejack had witnessed before from the diva. She wasn't flopping around, wailing. She was just lying there, hugging the pillow as she softly wept.
Applejack quietly stepped into the room and up to Rarity's bed. "Rarity? A-are yah all right, sugarcube?" she gently asked, brushing a hoof against her shoulder.
She recoiled from the touch, snapping a bloodshot eye open at Applejack. Her pupil shrank in recognition before her eye slammed shut, expelling a tear. She cringed, gripping her pillow tighter. "I-it's awful, Applejack. They-they were right there!" she cried, sniffling and sobbing. "Not even fifteen feet away…"
Applejack swallowed, licking her lips as she struggled to ask the question she dared not ask. "R-Rarity, yah ain't makin' a whole lot of sense," she gently said, moving her hoof over to tap Rarity's shoulder again. "Is-is everypony okay?"
This time, Rarity didn't pull away. She just shook her head, her face still seeded well within her pillow. "Mother… Father… They-if I'd just went there first! If I-I-I'd noticed her sooner I could-I could have saved them! I could have…and I didn't! Now...now they're gone. They're gone and it's my fault!"
The rambling wasn't very clear, but Applejack was still able to piece together the basics. "I-I know yah must be hurtin' somethin' awful, but there ain't no way it's yer fault. Even-even if yah were right there… I mean, just look at you, Rarity. How could yah have saved them like that?"
Rarity shook her head. "I-I don't… I just…" She sniffled, gripping the pillow tighter. "They're gone."
Applejack bit her lip as she scrambled to find something to say. "I-I'm so sorry, Rarity. Is there anything I can do—"
"What am I supposed to do, Applejack!?" Rarity sobbed. "What do I tell Sweetie Belle?"
Applejack glanced over at the still filly. "I, ah, I think when she wakes up yer gonna have to tell 'er somethin'. She's gotta know that...that everythin' ain't all right." Turning back to the sobbing mess before her, Applejack removed her hat, setting it at the end of the bed. "She's still got you, and you still got her. Don't forget that." Applejack sighed as she traced over part of her hat's brim with a hoof. "When I...lost my folks...I don't know how I'd've made it without Big Mac an' Granny Smith."
Rarity let out a whimper as she peeked up at Applejack. "Wh-what did they tell you?"
"Truth be told, I don't much remember the words," Applejack confessed, picking up her hat and putting it on low over her face. "All I remember was learnin' that they were gone forever an' that I was sad, an' angry, an' hateful. I was angry for...for a long time." Applejack sighed and shook her head before locking eyes with Rarity. "Yah need to be there for her. Tell 'er that yah love her an' that there ain't nothin' you ain't willin' to do to help 'er. Then do it. Yer gonna have to be strong, for her."
Rarity nodded and sniffled, but said nothing. Applejack patted her shoulder, but quickly stopped when a series of tiny coughs stole their attention away. Rarity finally shot up and dropped the pillow she'd been strangling. "Sweetie!?"
The tiny filly convulsed slightly as she coughed over and over again.
Rarity uselessly tried to reach out for her little sister, but with her leg in traction, she was trapped. "I got yah," Applejack assured, rounding the bed and pushing it towards Sweetie's. "I'll go get a nurse or somethin'!" she announced as soon as the beds were pressed together. It took Applejack but a moment to dash out and reappear with a doctor in tow.
The brown stallion rushed to Sweetie Belle's bedside. "Oh! It looks like she's coming to," he said as he gently pushed Rarity aside adjusted the mask on Sweetie's face. As she erupted into another coughing fit, the doctor fiddled with the equipment at her bedside. "Look up here, can you understand me?" he asked, leaning over the filly.
Sweetie Belle started to say something, but just started coughing again. She nodded as she continued to purge the toxic particles from her lungs.
"Good," the doctor said, nodding. He grabbed her chart in his aura and scribbled on it. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere?"
Sweetie used her forehooves to point at her ribcage. "It-it hurts," she managed to choke out.
"Your chest hurts? Is it a constant pain, or does it hurt to breathe?"
Gasping in a few breaths, Sweetie replied, "B-breathing."
"Given your situation, that is to be expected. I'm going to schedule you for a few tests, just to make sure you're okay." Giving her IV one last glance, he turned back to Sweetie Belle. "The nurses will be in to check on you in just a few minutes."
As the doctor trotted out, Sweetie Belle's head rolled to the side to look at her sister. She blinked a couple of times before her eyes snapped wide open. "Rarity! Mom and Dad are in trouble!" She stopped long enough to choke out a few coughs. "They-they told me to go get you!"
Rarity reached over to place a hoof on Sweetie's. Her mouth opened to speak, but no words came. Looking up to Applejack, she silently pleaded for help. Applejack just shook her head a bit and looked down. Breathing a wavering breath, Rarity reached up and caressed Sweetie's cheek. "I-I'm right here, Sweetie. You're safe now," she assured, grimacing a smile.
"B-but Mom and Dad! They're in trouble! Everything's on fire!" Sweetie said in a panic.
Rarity shook her head as she stroked Sweetie's charred mane. "It's-the fires are out now, you-you don't have to worry about that anymore. There's no more fire."
"Wh-where's Mom and Dad?" she asked, straining to look around.
Rarity's mouth fell open. Her lips flapped uselessly a moment before she wrapped her hooves around Sweetie and pulled her tight against her chest. "I'm sorry!" she managed to choke out as she began to cry again. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie!"
Sweetie struggled against Rarity's tight embrace. "Ra-Rarity!"
"I-I-I tried, Sweetie! I just-I couldn't! I couldn't get them!" Rarity babbled out between sobs. "Only you, only you…"
"Rarity! I-I don't… You're scaring me!"
Applejack intervened, prying Sweetie free from Rarity's desperate grip. "Dangit, Rarity!" she admonished as she helped fix Sweetie's oxygen mask. "Yer makin' it worse!"
Sweetie held the mask against her muzzle as she coughed and wheezed. Looking up at Applejack with big, pleading eyes she begged, "Where's mom and dad?" She glanced away only briefly as Rarity placed a hoof on hers.
Applejack sighed as those green eyes begged her for the truth. Applejack stole a peek at the blubbering mess that was Rarity, then she looked down. "I-I'm sorry Sweetie Belle. Rarity got you out, but she didn't—she couldn't go back for yer folks." Mustering her courage, she locked eyes with Sweetie. "They—your parents—they didn't make it out."
Shaking her head a bit, she shifted her focus between Applejack and Rarity a moment before focusing on Applejack. "You have to go help them!"
"No, Sweetie," Applejack firmly denied, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "The fires were put out some time ago. It's...too late."
"S-somepony has to go find them! They-they could be hurt! Or worse!" Sweetie pleaded.
"They, already found 'em, Sweetie," Applejack claimed, looking to Rarity for confirmation.
Rarity nodded, slowly but firmly as fresh tears fell down her cheeks.
"It-it's too late, Sweetie," Applejack said, moving her hoof to cup Sweetie's cheek. "Yer folks didn't make it. They...didn't survive the fire."
"What? No," Sweetie Belle breathed, shaking her head. "Th-that can't…" Desperately, she snapped her head to the side to look at her sister.
Rarity was still sobbing. "I really, I just… I-I couldn't save them, Sweetie. I'm so, so sorry!" She quickly wrapped her hooves around her little sister and pulled her tight to her chest. "It took everything! Everything, just to save you!" she wailed. "I couldn't… I-I wasn't..."
"I'll, uh, I'll be outside if yah need me," Applejack excused herself as the siblings wept in each other's hooves.
Once outside of the room, Applejack pulled the door closed behind her. She sniffled as she tugged at her eyelids.
"Um, excuse us, miss."
Applejack perked up to see a pair of nurses. One of them had a pink mane and a white coat, while the other was a yellow mare with a two-tone blue mane.
The one with pink hair continued speaking, "Can you step aside? We need to tend to a filly in this room."
"M-maybe y'all should just-just wait a bit," Applejack said, her voice wavering. She paused to clear her throat. "I think they need a minute or two alone."
"They just lost their parents," the pale yellow mare whispered to her fellow nurse.
"How awful!" the other nurse said, covering her muzzle with a hoof.
"I, uh, I don't think I got the whole story. Do yah know what happened?" Applejack asked.
The nurses shook their heads in unison. "All I heard was that their parents passed away in the fire."
"I see," Applejack muttered, absentmindedly kicking a hoof at the floor.
The nurses stepped to the door. "Sorry we couldn't help you more, but we really must see to this filly," the white nurse said.
Applejack nodded as she stepped aside. She did her best to ignore the weeping and shouting as the nurses went in and carted Sweetie Belle out. In fact, she just stood there, statue still, until long after Sweetie disappeared from sight, and Rarity's wails quieted to whimpers. Finally, almost mechanically, Applejack's legs took her back into Rarity's hospital room.
Rarity's weeping had finally come to an end. She just lied there, gripping her pillow for dear life. Applejack's presence didn't even seem to register with her.
Breathing out a heavy sigh, Applejack spoke up, "I know yer hurtin' somethin' awful. I really do." Rarity didn't utter a sound or move a muscle. "Look, yah just...yah can't fall all pieces like that—not in front of Sweetie Belle. She needs you to support her. Yah gotta be strong, for her."
Rarity finally, shaking her head just a bit. "I can't," she squeaked, looking up at Applejack. "I just... I-I-I'm not strong enough."
"Sure yah are," Applejack reassured, patting Rarity's shoulder. "An' even if yer not strong enough for yerself, I know yah can be strong for her. She's yer little sister, and she needs you. Right now, she needs you in ways she don't even know, an' if yah ain't there for her…" Applejack said, shaking her head. "Be there for her."
Again, Rarity didn't speak up. She just gripped her pillow tight as she buried her face in it.
After suffering a nearly eternal silence, Applejack shook her head, sighing. "Yah know, yah ain't gotta do it alone, right? I know of at least five friend's that'll do whatever it takes to help yah out."
Sniffling, Rarity peeked up at Applejack. "So where are they?" she spat.
Applejack flinched at the harshness in Rarity's voice. "Rarity, it ain't like they don't wanna be here," she said. "Everypony'd be here if they could."
"Then why aren't they!?" Rarity demanded.
"Twi's been up all night fightin' fires and coordinating the rescues. She's still hard at work right now. I know RD's plum tuckered out from fightin' the fires, too" Applejack explained. "I dunno why Fluttershy ain't been by. She's helpin' out here at the hospital. Maybe nopony told 'er that you were awake. And I-I dunno what's goin' on with Pinkie."
Rarity didn't reply. She just ducked back into her pillow.
Breathing a deep breath in, Applejack let it out through her nose. "I suppose what it boils down to, is that I'm the only one that ain't totally spent after last night. While you and everypony else were busy fightin' the fire and savin' the town, I was tucked away in bed, sleepin' like a foal." She hung her head. "So all I can do is show up and comfort those that're hurtin', 'cause I wasn't around to actually help everypony when they needed it most."
A few more moments of silence, and Applejack sighed again. "Yah ain't the only one kickin' themselves about what happened last night." Still, Rarity didn't respond. "We'll see yah through this Rarity," she assured. "Yah gotta know that much."
Again, silence. Applejack stood there watching Rarity do, well...nothing. Finally running out of patience, she started for the door. "I really need to get back to Apple Bloom," she said pausing again in hopes Rarity might respond. "I'll come back by when I get a chance. I promise yah that." Sighing, Applejack shook her head as she left Rarity's room.
"What the hay am I supposed to tell Apple Bloom?"