Why the Sun Does Shine

by Avabrony

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

The forest was silent. The trees stood mightily, stretching their ever-reaching branches out toward each other, in a silent fraternity of the wood. These giant brothers held within them such a great many creatures that if one were to breach into their domain, the entrance would be greeted with a lively fanfare of bird songs, the calls of crickets, the ever-droning katydids, creating a symphony of nature, a grand play of color and sound, inviting all visitors to watch and weep with their heart of hearts at the wonders that continuously reveal themselves.

Applebloom stood in awe-it was as if the forest was showing itself anew! She began to walk ever so lightly, floating in each sunbeam the penetrated the living branches of the great trees, fluttering with each breeze, until she came upon a small clearing. As she stepped into the light, something more than just the sun’s golden glow washed over her. Here was a place that she understood, and by the sights, the sounds, she felt as though it understood her. Immediately, she felt herself awash with calm, and she lay back, looking at the clouds drifting pleasantly in the sky, the sun shining so sweetly, she was happy, and for once, she wanted to stay in that place forever.

After a long while of taking the serenity in, Applebloom decided to go back and talk to Applejack again. ‘Maybe now I can say it right,’ was her consolation for leaving such a utopia. As she left the forest, she had the impression that a toy was winding down’ slowly the brotherhood dissolved, the symphony led its final decrescendo into silence, and then she was back on her eve-familiar farm.

“Applebloom--APPLEBLOOM! There you are. I was worried sick, you’ve got to come quick.” Applebloom spun around at the sudden outburst, to see her sister and Twilight both approaching her rapidly. “I know that you would want to see this.” As they neared, she saw that etched into both of their faces was a tale of great anxiety, and relief.

“I don’t want to go anywhere. I’ve found a perfect place, and I just wanted to come back to tell you about it before I left again.” She smiled, her tongue felling light as a feather as she watched her sister’s countenance drop back into disarray. “Well, I was really, really upset, and so I went into the Everfree Forest, and I found this one clearing that was just so perfect,” she waited dramatically, to enhance of the words that were sure to come to her, but as she opened her mouth to explain the wonderfully serene scene, her throat closed off, her tongue grew heavy, and she felt like her once-clear mind was filled with molasses. She began to panic, the world was wrapping around her, grabbing her, pulling her every which way-the flowers were never so vivid, the sky never so deep, and she was never so helpless. After an internal struggle which seemed to last ages, she finally broke down into tears. “I’m sorry Applejack, Twilight. I just wanted to show everypony how nice the world is, but I can’t! I just want to get it all out of my head, but no matter how much I try to give you gals the gift of nature, but, I just run it through the dirt, and you just think that I am crazy!” Having emptied herself to the other two, she buried her face into Applejack, as if it would stop the humiliating tears from flowing.

“Now, now, Applebloom,” Applejack began cautiously, unsure of just how to assess the situation, “there is nothing wrong with you, ya hear? It’s just a long day, that’s all, that’s all.”

Applebloom realized that her sister was also crying, and so she looked up at her. “What’s wrong, sis?”

Applejack began to talk, but decided against it, smiled at her, looked at Twilight, and said, “We have something to show you.”

As soon as Applebloom heard this, she immediately began to formulate just what pleasant surprise was in store for her. ‘Is it present-or a party? Or maybe even my very own pet!’ She found herself lifted as though she were a Pegasus, soaring among the wonderful, fluffy clouds, floating on the invisible wind. She found herself skipping ahead of the other two, her thoughts aflutter with the possibilities of this new attraction.

“Hey, Applebloom! Over here! Look-Look what we got!”

The next few moments passed by in slow motion. She turned, mid stride, towards the owner of the shout. Applejack began to gallop toward her, yelling something. Scootaloo and Sweetie bell were running towards her; Sweetie Belle was still calling to her. Applebloom saw a smudge on Scootaloo’s flank, and she began to inform her of this. Applejack suddenly was knocking her sister over, tears streaming down her face. Applebloom looked up as the dirt cleared, and, clear as the sun shining so sweetly above her, the ‘dirt’ focused itself into a defined form-into a picture-into a cutie mark.

The sight was like being hit with everything in the world- she even momentarily forgot her own sister lying on top of her. The look on her face as she squeezed out from under Applejack was blank; her entire world had just turned upside down. She could tell that they were talking to her, but she only heard ringing. She saw their faces slip into horror as she began to walk past them, but all she could feel was a numbness encapsulating her heart. She walked in silence, seeing nothing but her hooves as they methodically impacted the ground, carrying her farther into oblivion. She looked up, and saw that she had wandered back into her clearing.

At first, the forest seemed like it had closed itself off to her. Yet, as time crept by, she started to see the Great Fraternity of Trees standing guard against all intruders, and she began to hear the Symphony of Nature chirping along its aleotoric way. She sat down, and soon, she found herself dancing to the wonderful cacophony of the world, and she laughed and spun and frolicked, all in this little clearing, untouched by society. ‘Free from those who laugh. Free from those who forget. Free from those who break promises, and free from those who break hearts.’ She laughed hysterically, her voice rising with the wonderfully free spirit of mother nature, the world turning circles around her, the wind leaping and playing as though they were dancing some soundless waltz. ‘Here, no one thinks I am crazy. Here, the world is more beautiful than anywhere else. Here, I don’t have to worry about cutie marks.’ She took a breath, and, at the top of her lungs, she shouted, “HERE, I. AM. FREE!” Laughing again at the silly lightheartedness of it all, Applebloom fell onto the soft grass, and reveled in the joyous feeling of belonging. Finally, she was in a place where nopony could judge, torment, or ridicule her. She let herself slowly drift off into a blissful sleep, immersing herself in that which she had previously labeled a curse, but now knew to be a virtue.

Comments

[MacDerpy]

sorta confused i am