“Applejack, Cheerilee! Stop your chatting or you’re both getting detention!” the teacher yelled at the two mentioned fillies.
Both went silent right away, sat upright in their chairs and smiled like two innocent angels.
“What’s going to become of you two?” sighed the teacher.
“Please, please. I’d like to be a teacher, just like you,” exclaimed Cheerilee comically at what the teacher just shook her head unbelievingly.
“And I will work on our farm with mommy and daddy,” grinned Applejack.
“Then you’ll both write me a homework on this topic for today’s constant interrupting,” the teacher punished the two.
Both fillies made somewhat disgusted faces, but said nothing. They knew the teacher enough to know they’d just get punished worse the other way.
Moreover they both loved the teacher. She could be very stern, but all the while she deeply cared for her pupils.
Once she managed to calm the two lively fillies the teacher returned to her lecturing.
Applejack listened to her carefully, but soon the lecture began to bore her and her eyes began to shut little by little, until they shut completely at last.
• • •
“Hey, Applejack. Wake up,” whispered Cheerilee and poked her with her hoof. “The school will be over soon.”
And really just a few minutes later the clock on a nearby tower rang and the teacher released the class, wishing everypony a nice day. She frowned briefly at Applejack and Cheerilee, but then she waved and smiled at the two as well as they were leaving the school building side by side.
“So what are we going to do today, Applejack?” asked Cheerilee.
“How about we try again to get our Cutie Marks. Half of the ponies in class have them already and I don’t want to be the last one.”
“I’m sorry, Cheer,” Applejack shook her head. “I have to be home early today. Mommy has returned from the hospital and she said I’d have a surprise waiting for me there.”
“Aww yeea,” Cheerilee grinned wide and comically prolonged the last syllable.
“See you tomorrow then,” she smiled and hoof-bumped Applejack.
“Take care, Cheer,” Applejack said goodbye and galloped home, tremendously excited for whatever was waiting for her there.
• • •
“Hi mom, hi dad,” shouted Applejack at the top of her lungs when she finally arrived, but Granny Smith didn’t budge an inch.
“Silent, sweetie. Mom is resting,” dad peeked from the kitchen and calmed the excited daughter.
“You can go have a look at her. You’ll find her in the bedroom. And there will be somepony else waiting for you with her,” dad smiled at her happily and vanished in the kitchen again.
Applejack made a confused face, but listened to his advice and headed towards the bedroom. She opened the door very carefully, not to wake up mom, and stepped inside.
Mom was lying on the bed, covered by sheets, and was resting. Her face looked somewhat tired, but immensely happy. And right next to the bed, in a small crib, there was a beautiful little foal, asleep as well.
Applejack approached the foal, surprised. It was all yellow with a beautiful red mane. And so tiny-weeny.
She bent over it carefully and held its hoof. “How can they be so tiny?” the thought flashed through her mind and she eyed the foal for a long while.
“She’s beautiful, right?” said mom suddenly and Applejack flinched in shock. “This is your sister. Her name is Apple Bloom,” mom smiled at her. “Feel free to take care of her now, but be gentle.”
Applejack took the little creature carefully in her hooves and placed her, though a little clumsily, in embrace.
Little Apple Bloom growled quietly and pressed herself on Applejack’s chest. Applejack smiled at her with pride and sighed quietly. She had never been happier in her life. Finally, she’d be a big sister to somepony.
At the same day, somewhere on the outskirts of Ponyville
“But dad, why here of all places? Why Ponyville? Why not something different, bigger. Say Canterlot,” little Rarity started daydreaming for a moment.
“You know that mommy needs calm when we’re expecting a foal. Aren’t you happy that you’re going to have a little sister or brother?”
“Well yea!” snapped Rarity and rather looked out of the window of the stagecoach that was just arriving in Ponyville.
“Is this supposed to be a city?” Rarity was horrified. “There is like nothing here. Just a few houses, a farm and two measly stores.” Rarity indeed didn’t imagine her new home this way. She expected it to be classy, not this half-forgotten one-horse town in the middle of nowhere. “What have I gotten myself into again?” she sighed quietly so that none of her parents could hear it.
Several days later
“Dear class, today a new pupil has joined our school,” the teacher greeted them and introduced a little filly standing beside her. She had a snow white coat and a dark violet mane.
“Her name is Rarity and she moved in to Ponyville just a few days ago. Be kind to her and if need be, lend her a helping hoof till she accommodates herself among us”
Then she turned back to Rarity and continued: “I hope you’ll like it here,” she smiled at her. “And where shall we seat you?” the teacher inspected the class closely.
“I think you could sit there, next to Applejack,” she said and pointed to an empty desk.
When Applejack heard this she waved her hoof happily at the new filly, but she ignored her completely and trotted to her desk, holding her head up proudly. She couldn’t resist though at last and gave her new orange neighbor a wink. She looked nice though somewhat unmaintained.
“Hi, I’m some Applejack,” whispered the neighbor and offered her a hoof. Rarity eyed it with critique, as it was a bit dirty, but in the end, though with a bit of a grin, she gladly accepted it and gave it a shake.
“I am Rarity,” she introduced herself proudly.
“Alright, calm down, dear foals,” exclaimed the teacher. “It’s time to start the lecturing,” she told them and then got to it.
• • •
“Hey, Rarity, wait for us!” shouted Applejack. The school ended a while ago, but Applejack with Cheerilee had somewhat different plans than just head straight home. They wanted to join in with their new friend.
“What is it you want?” Rarity asked with dignity in her voice when Applejack caught up with her.
Applejack was somewhat abashed by her voice. She acted rather “snobbish”, but all the while seemed to be a nice filly. In the end she just shrugged and started: “You know, me and Cheer couldn’t help noticing that…”
“Cheerilee. It’s Cheerilee. How many times do I have to remind you?” her plum-colored friend mocked her. Both started to laugh heartily at that moment. Applejack rolled on the grass and wriggled in wild laughing fits.
“Y-you w-would re-really be a great t-teacher, Ch-cheer. Y-you’re really g-good at this,” Applejack managed to say between hiccups and thus got Cheerilee into another laughing fit.
Rarity had to try really hard not to lose her dignity and give in to their contagious giggling. Although she finally regained control even she made a smile at times, but always decently covered her mouth with her hoof.
When Applejack calmed down and wept away the tears of laughter she managed to stand again on her hooves and continued where she stopped a while ago.
“I wanted to say that Cheer and I noticed,” she said and leered at her friend mischievously. This time she didn’t interrupt her and just grinned back at Applejack, “that you don’t have your Cutie Mark either, just like us. And so we thought, how about we try to get it together? We even have our own clubhouse down in the orchard.”
Rarity looked at them surprised. She didn’t expect anything like that. Even more so she was surprised by her own reaction. The two were one of the dirtiest and unmaintained fillies she’d ever met, but Rarity felt that she was growing fond of them. They seemed very nice. And so she finally agreed with glee and her prior superior tone was now gone like the wind. Just a few minutes later all the three were trotting down to the apple orchard.
Several weeks later
“The pegasi have planned a huge storm for this evening, so please go home right after school,” mom was bothering about Applejack and cradling little Apple Bloom in her embrace.
“Sure, mom,” Applejack nodded, took the snack her mom made for her off the table and put it in her school bag that she already had on her back. She said goodbye and with a light gallop set off to school.
On the way she picked up Cheerilee and Rarity and they moved on slowly together. They weren’t very excited about going to school, so to speak.
In the few weeks these three fillies became best friends. Their Cutie Mark crusades, although unsuccessful, became legendary throughout Ponyville.
“So Rarity, do you know if you’re about to have a sister or a brother yet?” Cheerilee asked.
“No, I don’t, but daddy said it would happen soon,” answered Rarity, but she didn’t seem overly happy about it, so Cheerilee let it be.
Shortly all three got to school and took their seats.
“Late again,” warned the teacher with a stern gaze. “I would be interested in knowing where do you keep wandering all the time?”
However, instead of answers, she only got three angel looks, so she just sighed and got to lecturing.
• • •
“Hey Applejack, will you go to the clubhouse with us? Rarity has again some ideas for its improvement,” Cheerilee called to her friend once the school was over.
“I can’t today, I promised to be home early. Because of the storm,” Applejack shook her head.
“Oh come on AJ, don’t be a scaredy-pony,” mocked Cheerilee. “What could possibly happen to us over there? We’ll be dry and warm after all.”
“Well, I don’t know,” frowned Applejack. “I got a bad feeling about this.”
“Aww come ooooon,” nagged Cheerilee together with Rarity.
“Well then, alright,” exhaled Applejack and all three started towards their clubhouse.
The first pitch-dark clouds began to gather on the horizon. And there was something evil in their shape, something foreboding.
Since Rarity became their friend their tree clubhouse was changed beyond recognition. It was now painted fresh, had the doors and windows changed and there were even little flower pots hanging from the windows.
The change inside was even more substantial. Rarity somehow managed to get a carpet that was now laid on the floor. They had a table, where they planned their crusades, and several couches for sitting and, situationally, even sleeping. There were various sketches and diagrams of their Cutie Mark crusades on the walls. Also posters that Applejack brought here, mainly from various rodeos.
Under the strict oversight of Rarity, Applejack and Cheerilee cleaned their hooves on the door mat and only then headed in.
“So what did you come up with, Rarity?” asked Cheerilee. Applejack was somewhat subdued and kept eyeing the roof of their farm, hidden behind a hill, through the window.
“I was thinking we could hang wallpapers in here,” smiled Rarity. “Those planks don’t look exactly appealing,” she explained and reached in her handbag, drawing out a few wallpaper rolls and a bit of glue.
All three got down to work, but Applejack was growing more and more anxious over time. Everything kept falling from her hooves and she kept staring more through the window as the sky became fully overcast. The first rain drummed against the windows. There was a lightning and soon a thundering roar reached their ears.
“What’s up with you?” asked Rarity at last. “Are you OK?”
“I don’t know. I keep getting that funny feeling,” answered Applejack and meekly lowered her head. Another flash lit the sky. The thunder was now audible much nearer.
“Then better run home,” both looked at her compassionately. “You might make it before the worst comes.”
“Thanks, you’re…” began Applejack, but the sky was suddenly set alight by an unbearably bright flare, followed by a terrifyingly loud thunder that shook the whole clubhouse.
At this point Applejack went pale as a ghost. Something in her heart suddenly violently and mercilessly blacked out. Something she believed she could never lose. She didn’t even look around and rushed out from the door right into the terrifying storm that was rampaging outside.
Her friends exchanged confused looks and ran out after her.
Applejack ran as fast as her tiny legs could manage. Wind and rain whipped her face mercilessly. On the dark sky above her head the lightning was flashing one after another, but nothing would stop her. She ran further and further back to home and hoped that the darkness she felt in her heart was just a deceit.
And then she saw them. Her parents. They were lying on the trail leading to their clubhouse, crushed by a massive old trunk that was still smoking from a recent lightning strike. They weren’t moving.
“Mommy, daddy!” she howled in despair and ran up to them. Tears were flowing down her face, mixing with raindrops.
She caressed and shook them with her hooves, cried out loud in despair, but all in vain, neither of them woke up. Both of her parents were dead.
She collapsed to the grass besides them and heartbreakingly cried with her muzzle pressed against the side of her mommy.
That’s where Rarity and Cheerilee found her when they arrived.
“Dear Celestia!” exclaimed Rarity, terrified. “Cheerilee, quickly reach out for help in the town!” she commanded harshly. Cheerilee obeyed immediately and galloped off;
In the meanwhile Rarity turned to Applejack and tried to comfort her, but all of her efforts were vain. Nevertheless she hugged the poor filly tight. The dirty mud around her didn’t matter at all now.
• • •
“It’s your fault. Yours! You should have listened to them. You shouldn’t have gone to the clubhouse,” Applejack was haunted by her consciousness.
Applejack knew that her parents went to pick her up on that day. They were worried about her and wanted to bring her home. And so she blamed their death on herself. If only she’d listened back then and gone home right away.
She couldn’t sleep and when she finally managed to, she was haunted by terrifying nightmares. She couldn’t smile nor cry. She was like a soulless body.
Granny Smith and Big Mac cared for her and Apple Bloom, but what was it worth if all the fire in her heart had been doused.
She wasn’t the former jolly filly anymore. She even stopped talking to her best friends. With Rarity and Cheerilee. Every day she tottered to school as if in a dream and then right back home, where she collapsed onto her bed and wouldn’t talk to anypony.
• • •
“I can’t take it anymore, Cheerilee. We must do something!” proposed Rarity one day, when the two met again after a long while in their clubhouse.
“Well, sure, but what?” sighed Cheerilee. “She won’t even talk to us anymore.”
“I know,” added Rarity sadly. “But we must think of something as soon as possible. Otherwise Applejack will be doomed by her suffering.
“Maybe we could give her something, but it would need to be something special,” proposed Cheerilee. “Something she’s always wished for.”
“That’s a great idea,” agreed Rarity. “And what if each of us gave her a different thing? We’d get a higher chance to hit the right one that way.”
Cheerilee nodded: “Perfect, we’ll meet right here once we have both come up with an idea, alright?”
The two fillies shortly parted and on the way home kept trying to come up with something to cheer up their friend.
• • •
There was a quiet knock and someone opened the door to her room. Applejack just rolled over and stared to the ceiling.
“Applejack? We came to visit you,” began Cheerilee.
“And we brought you something,” added Rarity.
“Go away. I want to be alone,” sighed Applejack and there was just so much bitterness in her voice. Cheerilee with Rarity wouldn’t budge though.
“We brought you a present,” Cheerilee smiled at her, “that could make you happy”.
Applejack didn’t even bother answering and just turned her back to them. She kept quiet.
“We’ll leave it here for you. You’ve got it in this box,” informed Rarity and put the box next to Applejack on the bed. Then they both left and carefully shut the door.
Applejack sighed and kept looking out of the window when suddenly something rustled in the room.
“Huh?” she was surprised and looked around the room. There was no one there.
Suddenly the rustle sounded again, right from the box her friends brought there.
“What could it be?” her curiosity got awakened and for a short while shadowed her sadness. Carefully she bent to the box and opened it by the hoof. Her eyes opened wide in shock. There was a different pair of eyes looking at her from the box. A dog pair of eyes.
It was a little dog, still a puppy, and it had a farmer’s hat on its head, fit just for a pony. It looked somewhat comical with it. On its collar there was a name tag. It said “Winona”.
That instant the puppy jumped out of the box and licked her muzzle. Applejack caught the puppy in her hooves and gave it a long stare.
That innocent and happy face broke something in her and Applejack felt the first tears flowing down her face.
She set the puppy on the floor carefully, picked the hat, slammed it onto her head and ran out of the room. Winona followed right after.
She caught up with her friends right on the road leading from the farm. She jumped on them, knocked them to the ground and hugged them in tight embrace.
Her lips were shaking and floods of tears were flowing down her face. In spite of that she managed to whisper: “Thank you.” Then she cried even more.
Her friends smiled at each other and then returned her hugs. After a while they helped her stand up, held her firmly in between them and led her back home.
When they were laying her with the puppy back to her bed, Applejack smiled at them even though her eyes were still filled with tears.
“I love you,” she whispered and hugged them once again.
Rarity with Cheerilee stayed with her the whole night and knew that their good friend had returned again.