//------------------------------//
// And here's why 
// Story: Spiders and Famine 
// by BewhoUr 
//------------------------------//

"Applejack!"
That wasn't exactly a call that you wanted to hear in the middle of the night, particularly when you were trying to get a decent nights sleep.  It wasn't something that Applejack wanted to hear either.  Her little sister, yelling her name in a particularly desperate pitch.  If Big Mac had yelled her named like that, she'd be up and there in around twenty seconds.  It'd probably be something like- "oh, the plumbing is down." Or "I need help with fixing a leak in the roof."  With Granny Smith, maybe she'd hurry a tad more.  Maybe she'd need her pills, or maybe she'd have fallen over in the middle of the night and been unable to right herself.

But with Apple Bloom?

Applejack bolted upright in bed, growing to a cold swear, thrust the covers off of herself, jumped out of bed in a valiant leap that any rodeo would have oohed and awed at, sent her covers flying bolted through the doorway, down the hall, and into the doorway of Apple Bloom's room.  All in around ten seconds, which was quite impressive actually.

And what did she see?

She saw the yellow earth pony filly, crouched down on her bed like she'd seen a ghost.  Various fluffy pillows and different species of stuffed animals were piled around her messily, like a bedtime fortress.  The burning fire of fear flickered deep in her sunset eyes, and her expression was not a happy one.  

"Apple Bloom?  Whats wrong?"  Applejack asked in crystal clear concern, stepping forward into the room.  The fillys eyes darted around the room, as if watching something.

"Applejack!  Theres a- a, a spider!"  Apple Bloom yelped fearfully.  Applejack's deep green eyes softened, and her breathing relaxed a bit.  She saw the small brown spider scuttling across the floor, and in turn she saw Apple Bloom duck under her covers a bit more.  Applejack smiled slightly, looking at the shivering yellow filly under the blankets.

"Apple Bloom, you had me worried." The orange earth pony mare paced across the floor, hearing the familiar creaking and letting it comfort her, and was careful not to step on the spider as she made her way to the bedside and sat on the edge of her little sisters canopy bed.  "Now let me tell you a little story."  Apple Bloom still looked frightened.  

"But what about the spider?" 

"Enough about the spider." Applejack looked through the window and to the night sky.  It was a gorgeous, deep black blue night sky with the stars twinkling bright and forceful, as if willing to be noticed by the entire nation.  The orange mare patted the spot of mattress next to her, signaling for Apple Bloom to sit with her.

"Now Apple Bloom.  Do you see those stars?" Apple Bloom nodded, not sure what to think of this question.  "Good.  Now under that sky and those stars that Luna has raised for us, there lives a wonderful place called Equestria.  And in Equestria lies hundreds and hundreds of good ponies, all with different talents, purposes and lives."  Apple Bloom nodded again, eyes transfixed on the night sky.  "And little sister, each and every pony who lives in Equestria, under those stars, has a different story.  And most stories will have happy endings.  Most ponies will live happy lives full of good times, friends, and purpose."

"But what about the others Applejack?"

"Ah, the others.  Well thats exactly the story I'm gonna tell you.  You worry about a spider, a simple, brown spider who is much more scared of you than you are of it.  But those other ponies?  They worry about danger.  They live in terrible places, under terrible conditions.  Some ponies are hurt, sick, in pain.  Some are starving, some are freezing, others are just barely hanging on."  Applejack paused to look out at the sky again, and then took a breath and continued with this story.

"And then you look at our life.  Well, we may have hard times.  We may have some days were sales aren't good, some years where the apples don't grow as big and colorful and fresh, some spiders might be living in our house, but we're strong, healthy, and together.  And really Apple Bloom, in the long run, isn't that what really matters?" The yellow filly took a moment before nodding.  Apple Jack herself turned her head to glance at the spider, whom was standing perfectly still like a deer in the headlights as the gazes of the ponies and the bright moonlight washed over it.

"So I guess a spider isn't that much of a problem…?"

"Thats right sis.  Its not that much of a problem.  And look at that spider!  It has just as much right to a happy ending as you or me." The spider looked at them wearily, as if it knew it was being talked about.  Apple Bloom smiled gently and radiantly at this spider, now better understanding it.  Apple Jack smiled at the spider too.

"Should we let it go Applejack?" The younger pony asked her older sister with a newfound hint of respect lacing her voice.

"Darn right we should Apple Bloom." The earth pony mare lowered herself off the bed, followed by her sister.  Apple Bloom ducked to the floor level in front of the spider slowly, now at its eye level, and cupped her hoof gently, allowing the spider to crawl onto it.  Once she had it, she cautiously stood back up, careful not to drop the small being, and made her way to the window where she gently placed it on the outside of the window sill.

"Do you think it'll remember what we did?" Apple Bloom asked her older sister as the spider crawled onto the outside wall and disappeared from view.

"I'm sure it will Apple Bloom… I have a good feeling about that spider."