//------------------------------// // Chapter One // Story: I Love You...To the Moon and Back // by The_Light_Is_Dying //------------------------------// Apple Bloom yawned contently as she woke up with a start in Twilight Sparkle's bedroom. The lavender alicorn was no longer in bed, and Apple Bloom decided she shouldn't be either. She glanced out the window, and saw the sun was already high in the sky. How long had she slept? What time was it? Apple Bloom quickly fastened her pink bow in her mane and skipped down the stairs. Apple Bloom saw Twilight Sparkle sitting comfortably in a blue bean bag chair, quietly reading a book. "Mornin' Twilight! What time is it?" Apple Bloom asked, rubbing the side of her head. She yawned once again. "There's my little sleepy-head filly! You've been sleeping for so long. It's 11:30 already." Twilight said, glancing at an owl-shaped clock on the wall. Apple Bloom screamed in pure shock. It was a half an hour to noon, and Apple Bloom was just getting out of bed! Twilight Sparkle laughed at her friend's instant reaction, and set the book aside. She stood up, letting her long straight tail fall over her rear legs. Her mane was pulled back in a messy ponytail and Twilight was balancing a thick real pair of glasses on her snout. "Does that mean that there ain't gonna be a blueberry pancake breakfast today, Twi?" Apple Bloom asked, sticking out her bottom lip in a sad, teasing way. Once again, Twilight Sparkle laughed, her ponytail shaking like jello. Twilight whipped out a blueberry pancake from behind the bean bag chair. The delicious pancake had little blue dots and lots and lots of syrup! Twilight also used her magical aura to summon a glass of orange juice. Apple Bloom squealed in delight, and settled down to eat. "I figured you would be upset, so I made you a breakfast shortly before you woke up. Are you happy now?" Twilight explained, settling down with a fruit breakfast of her own. Apple Bloom nodded, her mouth full of blueberry pancake chunks and little slurps of orange juice. Apple Bloom quickly swallowed the whole mess that was in her mouth, and smiled innocently. Twilight smiled back, eating slice-by-slice of her juicy kiwi fruit. "Hey Twilight?" Apple Bloom asked, swallowing another chunk of pancake. She eyed the kiwi slices. "Hmm?" Twilight answered, her mouth full of kiwi. She quickly swallowed, and grabbed another slice to munch. "What does kiwi taste like?" Apple Bloom asked. Twilight passed Apple Bloom a slice of the fuzzy kiwi fruit. Apple Bloom shrugged, and popped the kiwi in her mouth. Apple Bloom gagged and spit the slightly chewed kiwi slide out of her mouth. Apple Bloom grabbed a napkin and quickly wiped her tongue, but couldn't get the taste out fully. "Huh. I guess it tastes great to ME." Twilight pondered between chews. Apple Bloom laughed, but quickly frowned as she remembered that, as much fun as she was having, part of her was still, and would be until she could see Applejack again. Apple Bloom sighed, pushing away what was left of her pancake. She curled up in a depressed ball of sadness. Twilight Sparkle curled up next to her and, for the first time in a week, felt the warmth of an older sister. Even though Twilight was in no way related to her, Apple Bloom felt like Twilight Sparkle was an older sister to her. Not exactly Applejack, but an older sister. A brainy elder sister that she never had. "Will they find Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked, her eyes quickly filling with tears. Twilight Sparkle stared down at her, concerned, and sighed. Apple Bloom could tell from the look in Twilight's eyes that she wasn't sure, but Apple Bloom wanted to hear the words come out of Twilight's mouth. "The search party is trying their best but..." Twilight was interrupted by a depressed and deranged Apple Bloom. "Why can't you just look into the future? Please, Twilight. Do this for me." Apple Bloom stared at her, enraged. Twilight sighed and shook her head. "I can't. It would break the time space continuum, and there may be NO future if we time travel. Apple Bloom, I am not risking every pony in this world's life just so you can see one little detail." Twilight Sparkle was well rehearsed for this speech. She had told this to Apple Bloom every day for a week. But Apple Bloom wouldn't let it go. She wanted to see if her sister would come back to her someday. "Fine. I'm going upstairs." Apple Bloom huffed, and stomped her way up the stairs to the bedroom. She quietly closed the bedroom door, and, when she saw she was safe and that Twilight Sparkle had refrained from following her, Apple Bloom picked up her pillow. She grabbed a large family scrapbook from beneath it. Apple Bloom didn't want Twilight to see she had the scrapbook. It wasn't too comfortable when she slept, but she wanted it to be hidden, and that was the only place Apple Bloom could hide it. Apple Bloom turned the first page. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Apple Bloom, wake up! Ah need your help harvestin' apples." Applejack yelled, making Apple Bloom jump out of bed, half scared and half surprised. As soon as Apple Bloom spotted her older sister, Apple Bloom calmed, and smiled. She grabbed her ribbon and fastened it carefully in her mane, looking in a small handheld mirror she kept by her bed. She made sure the bow was straight and hopped downstairs with her sister on her tail. "Alright, sis. But ah have ta tell ya, ah ain't too sharp at buckin' them darn apples off them trees." Apple Bloom warned, sighing. She wasn't too good at bucking the apples off of the apple trees, and Applejack knew it. Why she would ask Apple Bloom to help her when she knew she wasn't good at it was beyond her. Little did she know this was the last day she'd see her beloved sister. And it was her last day to actually tell Applejack she loved her, but Apple Bloom didn't have the chance...