//------------------------------// // Applejack's Loss // Story: After The Song // by BioQuillFiction //------------------------------// I woke up not like the last few times, this time I woke up from a screaming Rarity. She went on to complain about the tacky decor and the amount of dust that was in the room. Yeah I've learned to just let her do her thing and you won't get an unexpected makeover, took three months for my hair to grow back. "Uh Rarity I know our situation is bad but you don't need to clean up the place we're escaping from." Pinkie Pie spoke my thoughts out to Rarity. She looked a little sad and grossed out but nodded in agreement. "Sorry it’s just that after that horrid nightmare that spell of Adagio's put me into I just..." I pat Rarity on the shoulder. She looked up to me and smiled. "Thank you Sunset Shimmer I needed that." "Yeah that was bad... Oh shit!" Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight all just about jumped in shock. "Quick Rarity did that Berry Berry spell emotion thing mention a name of sorts!?" "No, she just gloated and showed me up, why?" "Crap I promised." "Promised what?" Twilight asked. "Well... That emotion spell that tortured Rarity said she came from a little girl who has lived a horrible life. She was placed into this hell hole before Adagio took it over and I made a promise to Berry Berry to find that little girl." "But how do you know if Berry Berry wasn't lying?" "Either way I don't wanna take that chance. Still how come Berry Berry didn't mention a name?" "Maybe she did?" Pinkie Pie spoke leaning against the doorway. "None of the other spells we were under gave a fake name so what if Berry Berry is the name of the girl she was in." ... Did Pinkie Pie just make sense!? "That might be the case. Still as much as we want to the rest of our friends are still top of the list." With that said we all moved over to the next room. Inside laying on the bed in a restraint jacket was Applejack. Least she wasn't in chains like Twilight was. Luckily the jacket was the same as the one that was on Twilight so it was easier to open than last time. Freed from the jacket I placed my hand on Applejack's forehead and fell into that void. I am getting scary good at doing this. * * * I was surprised when I could feel anything, actually I smelt something first. The scent of sweet grass and apples filled my nose sending a smile across my face. I know this place. I opened my eyes and I was at the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres. Out of all the places I've been Applejack's family home is still my favorite place on Earth and Equestria. From first glances it still looks like everything's fine, just a cloudy sky almost rainy. Actually something is wrong, even on a rainy day Sweet Apple Acres still has that homey feeling of love and acceptance. This... This feels like dread. I walked in and the feeling of dread just worsened, not only that but it felt like I was being watched. The dread and fear of a stalker felt closest to the Apple Orchard. Starting to know how these emotion spells work I walked into the Apple Orchard. As expected the more I walked the more the feeling of dread came over me. I had to stop several times to reassert myself so I wouldn't drop from depression. Where is Applejack? This is getting really bad, and I don't wanna throw up in Applejack's head. After ten more minutes I finally found a clearing, next to the old tree house that Apple Bloom and her friends played in. I saw three tomb stones resting in front of the tree house and almost equal distance from each of them was Applejack sitting on her knees head held down. I walked a little closer. "Applejack?" I didn't get a response. "Applejack." Still nothing, I then placed my hand on her shoulder but she didn't react. "A.J. are you..." My eyes fell upon the tomb stones. The one to the right readBig Macintosh; beloved brother, cherished family member, always strong. Cause of death, heart attack. I about broke into tears even though I know this is all the work of a spell it still hurts and this feeling of grief isn't helping. The one to the left read Lady "Granny" Smith; a living part of our town history that will always live on in our memories and in our hearts. Cause of death, old age. I found myself in the same position as Applejack, knees on the ground and some tears coming from my eyes. The final tomb stone, the one in the middle read Apple Bloom; bravest young life of her generation, giving all she had in the face of fear and danger. Cause of death, suicide. I broke down on the ground in tears. What kind of sick sadistic freek, spell or not does this to a person!? I punched the ground repeatedly in rage and sadness. Applejack's not even responding to me and I'm in so situation for anything. What am I going to do!? Damn it, damn it, damn it! I felt a cold touch run down my back. I jumped and when I turned I saw a hooded figure with bone fingers coming out of the sleeves of his coat, in his right hand he held a scythe. Am I staring at death!? "Are, are you death?" "No, but I am very close to it. My name is Grief and I am the reason you feel pain when a loved one dies." His voice was low and deep all at once. "I am tied to the part of the mind that holds one's humanity. The stronger one's humanity is the more pain they feel when faced with death. Theirs or others that they knew." "Why! Why do this! You sound like you have a mind of your own so why!?" "I am still an emotion therefore I effect when needed, normally. Some magic entered Applejack's mind and fueled me with energy I've never felt before. In the end what you see here is just from my being here, I did nothing in reality. In a way it was better the spell that came with the magic was weak and couldn't affect her, wouldn't want someone else's emotion running amuck around my body." His body, wait!? "You're A.J.'s emotion, not someone else's!?" "Yes, the one that attempted to take control was weak. Came from a mind that never used it, even with the magic's aid it still was too weak." Sounds like Pinkie's negative emotions. Guess they got saved in a way. "So you want A.J. free as much as I do?" "Yes. I may not get used often, mostly when she stares at old photographs of her parents but I take no joy in causing the pain I make." "Then how do I stop you from causing this pain?" Grief pointed towards the garage next to A.J.'s home. "You've seen it before have you not? The old rusted smashed care." "Yes. Where are you going with this?" "In that car holds the memory that is the source of all this grief. The memory of her parents’ death, she was so young yet she saw it all from start to finish." She saw her parents die... "And then what?" I gave a nervous gulp waiting for Grief's answer. "You must destroy it." My eyes had to have been the size of watermelons when Grief said that. "How? And why?" "The why is simple, destroy the memory and Applejack will no longer remember the feeling of grief and my unwanted hold over her will be broken. As for how, I could tell when you entered here; I felt that magic like the one that first entered only cleaner." "But if A.J. forgets about her grief then what about you?" Grief chuckled at the thought. "I'll probably just be sent into the farthest corner of Applejack's mind until the day will come that I am used." "But when I was helping my friend Pinkie Pie she had a dead negative emotion, you could die!" Grief just laughed at my argument. "Grief comes in many other forms my young friend, whether from the death of a loved one or from a bad week at the market I will live on but in the way I want too." He has a point, heck I feel some grief whenever we can't perform a new song during the show. "Alright then." With that Grief diapered like dust in the wind. I walked over to the garage and inside covered under a dusty sheet was a rusted, smashed up blue pickup truck. I could make out what looked like the phrase 'Apples Forever' painted on the driver’s side of the car. Inside the car between the drivers and passenger seat was a little ball of light, it didn't give off a glow or anything it just floated there. I picked it up and I started to hear what sound like a women, man and child singing. I started to see images emerge from the orb but I turned my head. I could never deal with something this horrible and now A.J. doesn't have to anymore. I held the orb tightly between my hands and started to sing. My dear friend you have been so strong And you've always been true to me and to you Even when life has thrown its worse You get up and fight it all But those memories have left their scars They left you battle scarred. You've remembered every one, all the shapes And all their pain, you've been strong and It’s all because you remember the pain that came You’ve wished to forget it all and now I'm here You will not remember this battle scar. The orb turned into a like substance sand in my hands when I finished. I saw light coming from outside and the feeling of dread and grief left instantly. I looked outside and I saw Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith all sitting under an apple tree with warm smiles on their faces. Applejack got up and walked over to me and gave me a hug that if we weren't in her mind it would have broken several of my ribs. "Thank you Sunset Shimmer!" A.J. let me go and I dropped to the floor. "I'm not sure what you did but I'm glad you got me out of that mess." "Yeah... uh Do you remember what happened exactly?" A.J. paused for a moment. "Strange, I don't remember. Think it had something to do with ma' family but I'm not so sure." Well it's best if she doesn't remember that hell. "It's alright it wasn't all that bad anyway." "If you say so. Uh one question, how do we get out of here?" "Well that pattern so far is that you have to wake up and I kinda get thrown out." "Wake up... got it." A.J. grabbed my head and placed a wet kiss right on my lips. What the... * * * I woke up back in reality screaming. "Fuck!" I fell on the floor and hit my head but my new found trauma focused my attention elsewhere. "What was that about?" Twilight asked. I felt my face blush and turn red. "Nothing important." When A.J. finishes waking up I cannot be held responsible for what I will say.