//------------------------------// // Chapter Two : "Was shining so bright, but only a dream." // Story: A Prophecy of Worlds to Fall // by Diespitris //------------------------------// When I was a filly, theater performances and cheap paperback novels conditioned me to expect rain during a funeral. Not heavy rain, mind you, but the kind of cold drizzle that served only to match the mood of the occasion. The weather on the day of Apple Bloom's funeral, however, was fairly decent. There were no clear blue skies over Ponyville that day, but there was no rain. It seemed as though the whole town had showed up at Sweet Apple Acres to pay their respects. Well, perhaps it wasn't the entire population of Ponyville, given that the sizable Apple Family made up the majority of the crowd. However, there were more than a few familiar faces amongst us. The Cakes, Mr. Rich and his daughter, Cheerilee, and even Mayor Mare had made their way to the farm. The most notable guests, however, were the Royal Sisters. Princess Luna was as still as a statue, her expression blank and her eyes closed, like she had taken a silent guardianship over the graves of Orchard Mason and Ambrosia Orange. Princess Celestia's stance was similar. Only, she appeared more relaxed—more at peace—as she stood over the tiny stone coffin that was soon to be lowered into the earth. As for my friends and myself, we were seated at the front of the gathering alongside Applejack, her brother, and her grandmother. We spoke few words, we merely took comfort in our proximity. Twilight had Applejack and Spike wrapped in one wing, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in the other. Pinkie Pie and I, on the other hoof, were shielded from the cold by both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's feathery embrace. I was thankful for it; the chill of Autumn easily settled into my coat, despite my attire. But, for Applejack's sake, I didn't complain. Neither did anypony else. We didn't have to wait long before the band hired by the Oranges came to life on a solemn note, and Princess Celestia turned to face us. “My little ponies,” she began. “It is my deepest gratitude, as well as my deepest sorrow, to stand before you on this day, for we are congregated here out of love, respect, remembrance, and mourning for the deceased.” Princess Luna stepped beside her. “Little Apple Bloom is the beloved sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, and friend of everypony gathered here,” she added. “Today, she will be laid to rest beside her parents, Orchard Mason and Ambrosia Orange.” “Granny Smith, Apple Bloom's grandmother, will be the first of her family to speak.” On cue, the elderly mare moved to stand before the congregation. I didn't think it was possible for Granny Smith to look any older than what I was used to, but I was wrong. It appeared as though there were far more wrinkles on her face and her eyes were as dull as marbles. “I wanna thank y'all for comin' as far as y'all did,” she said. Amazingly, her voice carried enough to be heard by everypony. “As good as it is to see all of your faces, I wish circumstances were different.” She took a deep breath. “It seems like only yesterday that I buried my only son and my only daughter-in-law. Most of y'all know how they left the world. For those of you don't know, Mason and Ambrosia died in an accident in Manehattan. I stood before y'all then, just like I'm standin' before y'all now, cryin' my heart out over how I never wanted to outlive my children.” She closed her eyes. She was silent for a few seconds, then she reopened them. “Well, that's how I feel right now, as I have regrettably outlived my youngest grandchild... Unlike then, however, this worn-out mare has no more tears left to shed. Even if I did I promised myself that, for her sake, I wouldn't. Apple Bloom was a brave and bright young filly. Granted, she could be stubborn and just plain frustratin' at times, but she had a bright smile and a big heart.” She glanced over her shoulder at the coffin, and I saw her withers tremble. “If the universe gave me the chance to switch places with her, I'd do it. It should be me in that coffin, not her! Not my darlin' grandfilly!” My heart ached as Granny Smith started shaking like a leaf. Yet, she did not cry. I and many others stood in unison to run to her aid, but Princess Celestia was closer and quicker. She lead the distraught mare back to her seat, where she was immediately pulled into Big Macintosh's forelegs. I seated myself once more—dabbing my own tears away with a tissue. The princess whispered something to Big Macintosh, then to Applejack. When they stood, I suddenly understood that they were asked to speak next. Oh, poor Applejack. Poor Macintosh. I couldn't imagine what they and their family were going through. As much as I wished to lessen their pain, I commended their bravery. If it was my dear little sister who was lost in that accident, I don't think I would've had the courage to speak before such a sizable audience. The two stood side-by-side. Then, Applejack took off her hat. “I-I'm not exactly sure what to say,” she said, her voice wavering ever so slightly. “This is probably the hardest thing I've ever done, so I'll try to keep it brief—if y'all don't mind.” “Same here,” sighed her brother. “Apple Bloom was the best little sister a pony could ask for. Sure, she was stubborn, frustratin', and downright annoyin' at times, but I wouldn't have traded her for the world.” She sniffled, holding back tears. “I'm gonna miss her somethin' fierce. She didn't deserve to die so young and after all her hard work, she didn't even get her cutie mark.” She lowered her head. “It ain't fair...” Big Macintosh shook his head solemnly. “Nope...” He gently nuzzled his sister. Yet, it didn't stop her tears from falling, and he escorted her back to us. The only other family members to deliver a sermon after the Apple siblings were Aunt and Uncle Orange, and Babs Seed; the small earth filly didn't hesitate to join Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo at their seats once she was finished. Then, it was Cheerilee's turn. The last pony with a prepared message was Twilight. She seemed nervous and, as she talked of happier moments and Twilight Time, she allowed herself to softly cry. Her mourning was obviously distressing to the Royal Sisters. Princess Luna stepped forward to give her a nuzzle, and Princess Celestia hugged her with a snow-white wing. Upon returning to her seat, Twilight leaned close to Sweetie Belle. Whispers were exchanged between the two, though I didn't hear what was said. When my sister hopped off her chair and headed up front, however, my heart raced. It was time for her song. I didn't know beforehoof what she chose to sing. All I knew is that she spent many hours away from the boutique to practice with the band. As the band began to play a soft series of notes, she suddenly appeared more nervous than Twilight—like she suddenly remembered that it was Apple Bloom in that coffin. My rapidly-beating heart rose into my throat when she looked to me for some form of comfort. Keeping myself steady, I smiled at her and mouthed, “It will be all right.” My pulse calmed slightly as she seemed to compose herself. She drew in a deep breath, held her head high, and then Sweetie Belle's chosen psalm was given life. She sounded so lovely and she looked absolutely precious in the little black dress I made for her. Much to my embarassment, more tears spilled down my cheeks. There was a moment of silence when the song reached its end. I couldn't bear the nervous countenance that slowly crept onto my sister's face as the seconds passed, but there was no reason for either of us to fret. Applause, soft and respectful as it was, was presented soon enough. Sweetie certainly earned it, so I was relieved when she returned to her place beside Scootaloo with a ghost of a smile on her face. She then carefully climbed into Fluttershy's lap. “Rarity?” she whispered, tugging on my sleeve. “What is it, Sweetie?” “Was I... Was I good?” I nodded. “You were extraordinary, darling.” Fluttershy nodded as well. “That was a very pretty song, Sweetie Belle,” she said. Scootaloo hugged my sister from behind. Though she was clearly hiding it, Sweetie's performance had the same effect on her as it did me. “That was awesome,” she whispered. Sweetie's eyes narrowed, watering. “Do you think Apple Bloom liked it...?” I ran a comforting hoof over her mane. “I'm sure she absolutely loved it.” “Of course,” retorted Fluttershy, and Scootaloo gave a similar answer. Yet, there was still a tiny sniffle and a thin trail of tears. So, I wiped the moisture from my sister's face with a fresh tissue, but I sadly didn't have enough for the tears she and the others were about to shed. There was nopony else who wanted to speak, unfortunately. The only thing left was to lower the casket into its final resting place. Granny Smith, Applejack, and Big Macintosh were the first to meet beside Apple Bloom's coffin. I and the others followed soon after. As Braeburn, who emerged from the crowd to help, and Macintosh prepared to lift the coffin, we huddled around Applejack and her grandmother. I think we all knew that our friend's self-imposed poker face wouldn't last long. Like Granny Smith, she was trying to be strong, but she had suffered a tremendous loss—too tremendous to bottle up like she was doing. The cap on that bottle didn't last. Once they lowered Apple Bloom into the ground, she pressed her face against Granny Smith's coat, and when the first shovel of soil hit the coffin she finally let out an agonized wail. Embracing them both in a group hug, we cried with her. Together, we wept until the burial was finished. She then tried her best to compose herself. “I-I want to thank y'all for bein' here,” she said, smiling a very small smile at us. “I really appreciate it.” She was met with a tighter hug, given by Rainbow Dash. “We were going to be here for you,” she replied. “We'll always be here for you, no matter what.” She glanced at us. “Right?” There was no reason for us to disagree with her. After everything we'd been through together over the past few years, our bond could only be described as unbreakable. We were family. Wiping her cheeks dry, Applejack placed her hat atop her head once more. “Well, I hate to high-tail it like this, but I need a bit of time to pull myself together before I start minglin' with the rest of the family.” “Do you need any help, darling?” I inquired. “Nah, I'm good. Thank you, though.” “Well, don't hesitate to ask otherwise.” “I won't.” Tiredly, she then turned her back to us and headed into the leafless forest of the orchard. I stared at the trees for a while, until I felt Twilight's hoof on my shoulder. “I don't think she should be alone right now,” she said. I sighed. “Twilight, dear, you know how she is.” “I do, but—” “Just let her have her space.” I turned to face her. “I can't imagine how many ponies bombarded her with their sympathies over the past couple of days. I'm sure this is something she needs right now.” A sad smile touched her lips. “Then, we'll be here when she gets back.” “Precisely.” The flapping of wings suddenly brought our attention to Rainbow Dash. Our pegasus friend was flying around the area, groaning in frustration. “Hey, has anypony seen Scoots?” she asked. “I can't seem to find her anywhere!” “Sorry, Rainbow,” replied Twilight. “I don't know where she went.” I briefly looked around for my sister out of instinct. I couldn't see her and, even amongst all the Apples, I figured she wasn't there. “She must be with Sweetie Belle somewhere,” I said. I wasn't surprised one bit, but I was concerned. “I shall help you look for them, Rainbow. Twilight, care to join us?” “Of course. It sounds like you need the extra pair of eyes.” She smiled sheepishly. “I'd ask the Princesses to help, too, but they're already on their way back to Canterlot.” “Thank you, darling.” Rainbow Dash released a tired sigh. “Thanks, Twilight. Let me get the others and we'll go.” I made an attempt to get her attention before she took off again, but it was futile. I understood her eagerness to find Scootaloo, but there was really no reason to get Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy involved in the search. Not that their help would go unappreciated, of course, but three sets of eyes were more than enough. Nevertheless, Fluttershy and Pinkie were more than happy to help us. We scoured the farm—every visible corner of it. When the girls weren't found, we made our way to the orchard. To cover more ground, we divided into three groups: Twilight and Spike, Rainbow and Pinkie, and then Fluttershy and myself. “I hope they're okay,” said Fluttershy as we walked deeper into the grove of apple trees. I simply replied, “Me too.” I wanted to be more optimistic. Yet, the further we went, the deeper did worry worm into my belly. I don't know from where it came. There was just this increasing feeling inside me that something was horribly wrong. The first sign I was right was the loud, angry sound of an argument that sliced through the silence like thunder. My friend and I shared a fearful glance before we galloped towards the awful noise. We quickly came upon a break in the trees, where a small clearing set. The girls and Applejack stood in the center of that clearing. That's when I saw the second sign that confirmed my concerns; Applejack practically radiated rage, while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked absolutely terrified. I knew right away that they told her what happened shortly before Apple Bloom's tragic death. “What in the world is going on here?” I nearly demanded. Applejack pointed an accusing hoof at the fillies. “I'll tell you what's goin' on!” she spat. “Those two little snakes-in-the-grass left Apple Bloom to die!” “What!?” “You heard me!” Frowning, Fluttershy placed herself between the cowpony and the girls. “Applejack,” she scolded. “Don't say such things! What are you even talking about?” Nostrils flaring, the mare in question marched up to her in a most threatening manner. “Did you know that they could've saved my sister?” she asked, her voice dripping venom. Fluttershy hunkered down and whispered something so softly that it couldn't be heard, so Applejack continued. “But, they didn't! They chose to save their own hides instead!” “That is not true!” I declared angrily. I separated the two with one of my forelegs. “You weren't there, Applejack! You have no right to make such an accusation!” “I have every right!” She threw her hat to the ground. “My sister is dead! Dead!” I didn't want this conversation to continue down such a road. I reached out to her. “Applejack, please—” She slapped my hoof away so hard that it stung. “No! Don't you dare try to calm me down!” Again, she pointed at Sweetie, who was clinging to one of my hind legs. Before she said anything more, though, the grass-muffled hoofsteps alerted us that the rest of our friends had arrived on the scene. Rainbow Dash, upon seeing how frightened Scootaloo was, burst forward with multicolored speed and scooped her up in her forelegs. “There you are, Squirt,” she said. “What's eatin' ya?” Fluttershy ducked behind her as soon as she landed. “Applejack is... angry,” she whimpered. “Yeah!” exclaimed Scootaloo. “She's acting nuts!” Twilight, with Pinkie Pie and Spike right behind her, approached us then. “What happened?” she asked. I leaned close to her and whispered, “Applejack just learned that Sweetie and Scootaloo jumped from the go-cart before it crashed.” “Oh, I see.” She frowned, walking up to our friend. “You blame them for Apple Bloom's death?” she inquired, gesturing in the direction of the fillies. Applejack nodded stiffly. “Yes,” she sternly replied. “And I want them held accountable for it!” The princess was taken aback. She whispered, “You... can't do that,” in blatant disbelief. “Why not?” “Because it was clearly an accident! Applejack, do you recall how many accidents the girls have gotten themselves into over the years? I'm so sorry that this one took your sister's life, but you're hurting. It's only natural that you're looking for somepony to blame, but you can't blame Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.” In the blink of an eye, Applejack was in Twilight's face. “Don't you pull all that sympathetic hogwash on me!” she snapped, making the alicorn flinch. “If they had time to jump, they had time to take Apple Bloom with them! Friends, my flank! Friends don't abandon friends like that!” The two started arguing back and forth from that point, much to my dismay. We never fought like this, though it wasn't uncommon for us to have small disagreements every now and again. But this.... This was something else entirely, and I didn't like it—not at all. I quickly drowned them out, especially when I saw Pinkie come up behind me. She was talking to Sweetie Belle—probably in an attempt to cheer her up. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had a lollypop or a cupcake to give her. Then, Pinkie tugged on the hem of my dress. “Hey, Rarity,” she said in a hushed voice. She seemed intent on obtaining my attention. So, humming, I looked over my shoulder at her. “What is it, Pinkie?” I asked. I was a little curious as to what put such an excited twinkle in her eyes. She'd barely said a word all day, and now she looked like she'd won a million bits. “Look,” she whispered, gently running a hoof over Sweetie's mane. I didn't know what I was supposed to look at, until I saw the tear in my sister's dress. It was a large, jagged hole, located just below her croup. I figured she tore it somewhere on her way through the orchard, though it didn't make me happy. I was about to gently reprimand her about it, until I noticed something behind the frayed fabric. It looked like a pattern to me, and my heart leaped into my throat. “S-Sweetie,” I breathed. “Did you...?” There was confusion etched on her face when she looked up at me. “Yeah,” she muttered. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rip a hole in it.” “No, darling, your flank.” Frowning, she turned her head and she pulled the hem of the dress back. Right there—right on her pristine white coat—was an elegant pink, heart-tipped beamed note that was accompanied by a large purple bell in the background. It was her cutie mark. My sister had her cutie mark! “Scootaloo!” she cried happily. She ran to her friend—tears of joy falling down her face. “Scootaloo, look! Look!” The young pegasus wiggled out of Rainbow's grasp, her tiny wings buzzing enough to carry her in Sweetie's direction. When she was shown the mark, her eyes widened before she tackled my sister to the ground with a fierce hug. “Ohmygosh!” she shouted. “Ohmygosh! You got it! I can't believe you actually got it!” I couldn't believe it either. I mean, I was suspicious that Sweetie's talent lay in music. Whether it was at home or at the boutique, she loved singing if it wasn't in front of a crowd of unfamiliar ponies. Today was an exception, and now she was no longer a blank-flank. My sister had become a young mare right before my eyes. I was so proud of her, but it also instilled a chilling fear that only swelled when Twilight and Applejack took notice of the fillies' commotion. “What are they so happy about?” bitterly asked the latter. Clearing my throat, I smiled at them and replied, “Sweetie Belle got her cutie mark,” as calmly as possible. “What?” they exclaimed in unison. Twilight, brightly smiling, ran to the fillies' side to get a better look, while Applejack was frozen on the spot in a stupor. “Oh, wow!” exclaimed the princess. “Congratulations, Sweetie!” Fluttershy craned her head to look as well. “Oh, my, it's pretty!” Spike threw one of his fists in the air. “All right!” he laughed. “Sweetie did it!” “Thanks, everypony!” my sister replied. Her grin then fell into a sad smile. “It's so weird... While I was singing in front of everypony, I just kept thinking about Apple Bloom and how much I wanted her to hear my song, even if she was listening from all the way up there in Heaven. It just... felt like something she wanted to hear and something I wanted to do. I felt so warm inside as I sang. I didn't actually think it would get me my cutie mark, though!” Twilight nuzzled my sister. “You sang a beautiful song, my little pony, and I'm certain Apple Bloom was cheering you on the entire time.” Rainbow Dash flew around them about a dozen times. “And now that Sweetie Belle has her mark, she can help Scootaloo get hers!” she exclaimed, spreading her forelegs in a grand gesture. “Two heads are better than one, after all!” Scootaloo's wings buzzed as she tried to lift herself off the ground. “Hay, yeah! What do you say, Sweetie Belle?” Sweetie nuzzled her friend. “Of course I'll help you! Just because I got my cutie mark doesn't mean we still can't have fun together.” “Awesome, I was hoping you'd say that.” “So, wait a minute...” Slowly, Applejack walked up behind Twilight. “She... Her cutie mark is for real? For singin' that piece at the funeral?” “Yes, Applejack, Sweetie has her cutie mark now,” I said. “She sang that song for Apple Bloom and it helped her realize her talent.” I clung to the hope that the news broke through her anger. But, she said nothing, which agitated my concern. “Applejack, please say—” Without warning, her face contorted into a countenance of pure rage as she shoved me away. “How dare you!” she snarled. “Why does your sister get her cutie mark while mine lay dead in the ground? Is that how the world works now? Fillies kill other fillies and get rewarded for it!?” For the first time, I saw Twilight get angry. “Applejack!” she snapped. “I thought we talked about this, they didn't kill—” “No, no more! I won't hear any more!” She pointed at every one of us. “I want y'all off my property, now!” “Excuse me?” “You heard me, Your Highness. I want y'all off my property before I call the family to haul you off my property.” We were horrified by the hostile declaration. Twilight, however, spread her wings in defiance. “No,” she said. “We're your friends, Applejack! We need to talk about this peacefully—without hostility or blame!” Before they were able to begin their argument anew, a small group of Apples lead by Granny Smith emerged from the forest of fruit trees. “What are you youngsters yellin' about?” she demanded as she approached. “Applejack's kicking us off the farm!” exclaimed Rainbow. The elderly mare shot a glare at her granddaughter. “Really now?” Twilight sighed tiredly. “She seems to think that Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are to blame for Apple Bloom's death.” “Only because they are!” growled the cowpony. “There ain't nothin' to 'think' about, and nopony sees that—” She yelped as Granny's false teeth latched on to one of her ears. There wasn't enough pressure to draw blood, of course, but she was held captive for a few seconds before she was released. “Now, you listen here, young mare,” her grandmother said sternly. “Apple Bloom's death was an accident, got it? Anypony with workin' eyes can see that. Nopony's to blame, especially those sweet little friends of hers. You understand me?” “But, Granny...!” “No 'buts!' Macintosh, take your sister back to the house.” Despite his hesitance, Big Macintosh stepped forward and he picked up Applejack's hat. “C'mon, Sis, we're goin' home,” he said. “Now.” Fortunately, Applejack wasn't going to start an argument with her older brother. She instead ran past us without bothering to wait for him. Shaking his head, Macintosh turned his attention to us. “I'm sorry,” he said. “Don't mind her. You're all welcome here at any time.” That was all he said before he chased after Applejack. The rest of the present family offered similar apologies as they took their leave. As for my friends and I, we felt unwelcome regardless and I wanted nothing more than to leave. “Let's go, Sweetie Belle,” I said, nuzzling my sister. “I'll make us some lunch. Do you wish to join us, Scootaloo?” I thought it unwise to completely separate them at a time like this. Then, Pinkie Pie stepped forward. “Why don't we all have lunch at Sugarcube Corner?” she asked. “I... I think we should still celebrate Sweetie Belle getting her cutie mark, if that's alright.” Rubbing the back of her neck, Rainbow Dash smiled. “I think that's a good idea. I don't really want to go back to my place just yet.” “Same here,” added Fluttershy. “I want to be with all of you right now.” “What do you think, Rares?” I smiled at them. “I think it's a wonderful idea,” I replied. “I think we certainly need it. Don't you agree, Sweetie?” A joyful grin appeared on her face as she hugged one of my forelegs. “Yeah!” she exclaimed. “Will there be cake?” Pinkie nodded. “Of course! What's a party without cake?” Her ears folded back against her head. “I should make one for Applejack, too,” she quietly added. “Won't be much of a party without her there.” I gave the poor dear a hug. “Well, we'll just have to throw an even bigger, more exquisite party when she finally comes around!” If she ever came around, that is. Applejack's pain and anger ran deep—deeper than I had ever seen it. It was that notorious stubbornness of hers, and I could only hope that Big Macintosh and Granny Smith could bring her back to reason. Fortunately, my words cheered Pinkie up a little and, together, we left Sweet Apple Acres. Our next destination, Sugarcube Corner—where there would be some much-needed distractions and a more lighthearted atmosphere. We were downtrodden and hungry, and cake sounded absolutely divine.