//------------------------------// // Big Sister A.J // Story: Dear Twilight Sparkle // by Penmore //------------------------------// "A.J tell Granny we need more time to prepare the cart for the trip through the storm. I'm not sure how long it'll take so just have everything ready." "Ok!" As she ran to back upstairs, she was met by the doctor and the two mares at the top. She took a moment to explain the situation to all of them while helping to get Autumn downstairs. Once at the bottom she went to get some water while the Doctor and Granny sat her mother down on the couch. All the while Autumn was crying in agony and sweating profusely due to the cold and the contractions. "This is ideally the worst situation we could have right now. The contractions are getting shorter, and the fever is getting worse. The storm coming early is not something we need right now, and she needs to better medical attention than I can give her right now." The doctor kept checking his watch and the making note of the intervals between each cry while Granny kept wiping the sweat off Autumn. She grew restless as the storm could be heard becoming stronger and the wind harsher. A.J could do nothing other than fetching fresh towels and more water for her mother. "Is there anything you could give her for the pain or fever at least? I can't just leave her suffering like this." Granny asked trying her best not to let her voice crack with worry. "I could give her some painkillers for the contractions, but it won't do anything for her fever, and if I give her something for her fever, I won't be able to do anything about the pain. Not to mention the effect it might have on the baby. It's best we leave her as she is until we reach the hospital if we can." "Is Mama gonna be alright? She's going to be okay right?" They all looked at A.J as she talked and couldn't bring themselves to say anything. It was the look she gave them that made them hesitate. The look of a child fearing the loss of something important. "A.J" The others were surprised at the sudden disturbance in silence. Autumn had called out for her fearful daughter and held out a hoof. A.J went closer to her and held onto the hoof which in turn pulled her into a hug. "It'll be ok my little apple slice. It'll be ok, no need to cry. I'll pull through this and so will your little sister. It'll all right don't worry, don't cr..Aahhhhh" The doctor pushed A.J aside, and Granny held on to her as Autumn's screams kept getting louder. A.J watched as her mother kept crying in pain the doctor getting something out of his bag and injecting her with something she didn't know. She watched as Big Mac helped load her onto the cart along with Granny. She sat in the same cart Granny still holding her while the doctor tried to lessen the pain any way he could. The wind creeping in through the thin cloth and the water pouring into the cart made the situation worse for her fever. After what seemed forever, they finally reached the hospital only to have her mother taken from her and rushed somewhere deep inside with Granny close behind. The storm raged on outside banging against the windows and flooding the bottom floor. The nurses could be seen carrying sandbags to stack against the water while Big Mac held on to A.J trying to sooth her. "A.J you should get some sleep, I'll wake you if anything happens." "No! I want to be up for when I can see Mama." "She'll be ok, if anypony can get through this, it's her." "But Mac, you didn't see her before they got her in there. She was in so much pain, and she was so pale." Mac just held her tighter trying not to worry himself about he heard. They had already lost their father, and A.J's reaction was not positive. It had affected her enough for Mac to notice the difference. She got into more fights; she ignored most of what Granny and their mother told her. She didn't even care much for her chores, much less the farm. There was no telling what would happen to her if something happened to their mother. She was too young to lose her father and with the threat of losing her mother it would probably scar in some possibly irreversible way. They waited and waited for any form of news about their mother. Mac leaving temporarily to fetch some food and use the restroom. A.J the whole time would just sit close to Mac feeling safe as the sense of family was close by during such a tense situation. It wasn't until five hours had passed that Granny had come out from the back of the long corridor. "Big Mac, your mother wants to talk to you. I'll watch over A.J for now." He left in the direction Granny came, and A.J tried to follow only to be stopped by Granny. A.J thought she saw something in Granny Smith's eyes, but it was too fast to make clear of what it had been. "Is Mama ok? What happened to her? Why can't I see her?" "Applejack…" "Please Granny, I want to see Mama! Let me see her!" "Applejack please…" "Please, Granny let me see her! I promise I'll be good! I won't get into fights anymore! I'll do my chores and work the farm! Please!" "Applejack!" Granny rarely yelled at her and when she did it was because she did something terrible. This made A.J shrink back and start crying, and Granny just held her until she stopped. It was only for a short while as Big Mac came back with a stern look. He gave a nod to Granny, and she followed after him taking A.J along. A.J was still sniffling as they came to the room. When they opened the door, she saw Autumn (her mother) strapped to a lot of machines and wearing a strange transparent mask. Autumn turned to them and smiled; it was a weak smile one that looked as if it took a lot of effort to make. "Mama!" A.J rushed forward to the bed clinging to Autumn. Granny and Big Mac could only watch, not saying anything as A.J held on. "A.J…" Autumn said, her voice so soft it could be mistaken as a whisper. "Mama?" "A.J… I'm sorry. I can't keep our promise. I'm so sorry sweetie." "No! Mama, it'll be fine! You said it'd be all right!" "Shhhh, A.J listen to what I have to say." A.J could only nod as she cried listening to her mother. "A.J, you're a big sister now. Just like Big Mac watched over you, you watch over your sister ok?" "But!" "Shhh, she's still so young and so weak. It'll be a while before she can go home, but she's your sister. She'll make mistakes, and she might frustrate you at times, but she's family. No matter what happens… through the good or bad be there for her." "I will; I'll take care of her! Just please… don't leave me, Mama." A.J felt hooves around her as Autumn picked her up and hugged her. Autumn stroked her mane and kissed her forehead. "I know you'll be the best big sister ever my little apple slice, take care of Applebloom." Autumn kept stroking her mane and A.J could only snuggle closer and cry. It was then that Autumn sang the lullaby that A.J grew to love and hadn't heard in a long time. The lullaby she didn't understand but felt at peace when sung. The one from her mother's homeland. It was the first song she remembered her mother sang to her and now… it was the last. Big Mac and Granny watched as she went to sleep crying with a smile and as Autumn passed with one of her own. It would take another week for A.J to stop being depressed and an extra three days after before she would see Applebloom for the first time. Each time she was asked if something was wrong she just deflected it with something else. It was like she was lying, but never actually telling a lie. It felt like she just kept avoiding something to everypony who tried. The whole time she could hear the cries of the small filly once she was released from the hospital. She kept crying day in and day out, only stopping to sleep and eat. Each day passing day she would ignore the cries during her depression, and it wasn't until she saw Applebloom that she knew her last promise wasn't being kept. "Applebloom… sorry, I haven't been the best sister to you. I just couldn't stand thinking about our Ma, and how…" She picked up her still crying sister and tried to console her. "You've been crying this whole time A.B; you need to give your voice a rest before you wear yourself out." "Hold her for a while longer A.J; I need to get her bottle." "Ok Granny." A.J kept rubbing Applebloom's back trying to get her to calm down. Nothing had worked, and nothing seemed even to come close to making her sleep peacefully. Until… "I know that when Ma tried to calm me down, she usually sang to me. I might not know what she was saying. I never really bothered to ask, but I can at least remember how it went." Granny Smith returned quickly as she didn't hear any more crying. She thought something had happened to girls. When she arrived, she found Applejack holding a sleeping Applebloom and humming a familiar song.