Friendship is Forever

by pabrony

Love and Heartache

"Applejack?" asked Big Mac softly.

The large red stallion gently shook his unconscious sister trying to revive her. He made sure not to be too rough so that he didn't risk injuring her.

"APPLEBLOOM!" he bellowed as loud as he could. "IT HAPPENED AG'IN!"

The yellow pony came trotting into the barn and was greeted by what was beginning to be a familiar sight. Applejack was laying on her right side, unconscious, with a half-full bottle of Special Reserve Sweet Apple Cider in her right hoof and her Stetson in her left hoof, along with a collection of at least a dozen empty bottles scattered around her.

"Let's get her inside, Big Mac" sighed Applebloom. "She needs to get some help. Ah'm two moons pregnant an' Ah can't be doin' this ev'ry mornin'."

After Big Mac got the tangerine earth pony moved to the sofa, Applebloom applied a cold compress to her forehead and said to her brother, "If Y'all see Thundercloud when ya go ta town t'day, will ya get the name of that doc Thunder Dash is seein'?"

"Eeyep!" replied Big Mac.

They both looked down at their sister and sighed. Applebloom shed a tear as she whispered, "What has got ya drinkin' like this, AJ? You didn't do this after Granny Smith passed. Why do it now after Rainbow Dash passed?"

---

"How was that, AJ?" Rainbow Dash asked as she moved from the bottom of the bed to the pillows.

"Ah was really strugglin' not ta yell, sugarcube," Applejack answered as her breathing slowly returned to normal. "Y'all need ta bring the rubber stallion with ya sometime."

Rainbow Dash rolled over to look her lover in the eye before asking, "You really love that thing. Don't you?"

"Yeah, kinda," giggled Applejack as she leaned up to plant a sloppy kiss on Rainbow Dash's lips.

Rainbow Dash rolled back over onto her side so that Applejack could wrap her left foreleg around her. Rainbow Dash nuzzled up to Applejack's neck and as they started to drift off to sleep, Applejack quietly mumbled, "Eventually we're gonna have ta tell our friends 'bout us."

---

The aroma of apple pancakes and sweet potato hash browns filled the farmhouse as Applejack woke up for the day. After pushing the blankets aside, she grabbed her hairbrush off the nightstand and began brushing her mane and tail before tying them up in bright red ribbons. She wasn't as picky as Rarity about her appearance but she still always made sure to be presentable to others. Finally, she grabbed her Stetson and headed downstairs for breakfast.

"Mornin' Rockin'," she said as she entered the dining room. "Where's Jazz at?"

Rockin' Out replied, "She's in the kitchen cooking breakfast, AJ... under AB's supervision of course. She wanted to cook me a going away breakfast before I head back out to resume the band's tour."

"Ah guess some of mah cookin' lessons paid off this week," chuckled Applejack.

"We'll be finding out here in a minute," said Rockin' proudly. "I can see AB loading the serving tray."

"Where's Uncle Mac?" asked Jazz, as she and Applebloom brought the breakfast to the table.

"I'm right here," droned Big Mac as he stepped inside the house. "Just needed to get th' baskets placed fer tree buckin'."

"Hope Y'all ain't placed too many, Mac. Ah still can't do any buckin' 'til after Ah'm cleared by Doc Joyheart t'morrow," Applejack said.

"Nope! Ah remember," he said to her.

---

Applejack patiently sat on the table in the doctor's office, nervously awaiting the doctor's decision.

What in th' hay am Ah gonna do if Ah can't buck trees?" she worried. Tendin' ta the fields is mah life. Ah'm gonna go bonkers if she doesn't clear fer my normal routine.

A knock on the door interrupted her train of thought as Dr. Joyheart entered the room.

"Good morning, Applejack. How have you been doing this past week?" Dr. Joyheart asked her.

"Just plum crazy, doc" the farm pony replied. "Between th' bland diet an' them horse pills, Ah'd probably be in th' funny farm right now if my sister an' niece weren't stayin' with me."

A sad look came over Dr. Joyheart's face as she listened to Applejack's heart and checked her blood pressure.

"Well, what's goin' on with mah ticker?" Applejack asked impatiently.

"I'm afraid you're not going to like what I have to say," Joyheart said dejectedly. "Your blood pressure is normal, however, your heart rate is still erratic."

"Y'all mean ta tell me th' diet an' pills ain't worked?" asked Applejack as she struggled to hold back her tears.

"I'm afraid not," replied Joyheart. "I know how much tending the orchards means to you but as of right now I can't clear you past light duty."

"Whatcha mean by light duty?" Applejack asked, still fighting the tears.

"That means no apple bucking and no pulling wagons or baskets," Joyheart clarified.

"So basically all th' borin' stuff," said Applejack.

"Pretty much. I'd like to see you back here in two weeks," Dr. Joyheart told her. "If your heart rate has stabilized by then we can look into getting back into your normal routine."

A tear managed to escape each eye as Applejack put her hat back on and shook hooves with the doctor. She somehow was able to keep her head held high as she walked back to Sweet Apple Acres but as soon as she entered the farmhouse, she climbed on the sofa and laid down on her stomach. She then began to cry uncontrollably as she crossed her forelegs and buried her face in them.

---

Applebloom and Jazz entered the farmhouse about an hour later and were greeted by the unmistakable sound of somepony crying. The two earth ponies made their way to the living room to find the elder Apple sister laying on the couch sobbing. Jazz slowly approached her aunt and wrapped her forelegs around her neck.

"What's wrong Auntie Applejack?" she asked quietly. "Did you get hurt?"

Applejack, with her head still buried in her forelegs, just shook her head no.

"The doc ain't cleared you fer work. Did she?" Applebloom asked silently.

Looking up slightly with tears still streaming down her face, Applejack said, "No she didn't, sugarcube. Ah...Ah don't know what ta do. She said Ah can do all the easy stuff like runnin' th' market stand an' feedin' the critters..."

"But no tendin' ta the fields...," finished Applebloom.

"Right," sobbed Applejack as she buried her head back into her forelegs.

"Did ya tell Mac yet?" Applebloom asked softly.

A muffled 'no' came from the sofa.

Applebloom joined her daughter in embracing Applejack.

"Don't worry, sis," Applebloom said sympathetically as a tear slid down her cheek. "We'll get ya through this."

Author's Note:

Originally published on 2/4/17. Revised on 3/17/17.

Comments

[Frankie2]

So, AJ and RD were secret lovers. That would explain why she is taking Rainbow's death so hard. Now, add to the fact that she can no longer buck apples...

[Golden Fang Ryu Shenron]

"Don't worry, sis," Applebloom said sympathetically as a tear slid down her cheek. "We'll get ya through this."

Apples to the core....