Fallen Apple

by Soothing Stone

A Helping Hoof

The next day, everything inside the town of Ponyville had come to a standstill. There was not a single cloud nor a brisk of wind outdoors, the definition of calm itself. As it was a Sunday, everypony would either be at church or resting at their home with their families.

The Apple family was in the later camp. Applejack's coffin was in the basement, where nopony would disturb it for now. The living family members were all seated in the living room, with the entrance to the house a few steps away.

Granny Smith was still in her rocking chair, glancing at nothing in particular. She would occasionally rock back and forth, but she was focusing on more important things in her head. How the funeral should be like. How many of the family would be coming over tomorrow. Things like that.

In comparison, Apple Bloom was much more pitiful. She slumped over in the cushioned chair she rested in. She covered herself in a blanket with checkered apple patterns, and she was shivering again, this time from a cold. Ever since she had returned home, she felt like a icisle in the wintertime, and did whatever she could to stay warm.

The most alert of the family had to be Big Mac, no doubt. Instead of lounging around like the rest, he had his eyes glued to the window outdoors, waiting for something to come here. Even if a tumbleweed rolled by their way, he would jump out of his seat and press his face to the window, assuming it was a visitor that was moving out there.

But there wasn't a pony coming here for a while. The path from Ponyville to Sweet Apple Acres was empty and barren, which was a little disappointing. Maybe Applejack's friends would come here later today, once the shock of the news had faded enough.

At the same time, Apple Bloom's mind was on something else entirely. She could see out the window just as fine as her brother, but it was the trees that had her attention. A few of the marked trees were near the edge of the Acres, reminding her of the nightmare...

Just then, Big Mac looked outside again. Something came to his attention that was off in the distance. It looked like a taxi cart to him, with its yellow and black paint on the sides. It was driving straight to the farm, and he would recognize the pony riding inside any day of the week, given it was the only other pony in the family that sported a cowboy hat.

"Apple Bloom, wait here with Granny Smith," he ordered. "Your cousin Braeburn is here, Ah need to talk to him out there."

She nodded and shivered again, covering her head with the blanket.

He left the house and galloped all the way to the entrance of the Acres, just as the taxi arrived at the same place at the same time. Braeburn motioned something to the driver, and handed him a hoofful of bits.

"That should do it," he said, with a darker tone than he usually had. "No, this is good. Thanks again for everything."

With the business out of the way, he piled out of the cart as it drove back to Ponyville. He began to make his way to the farm, when he saw Big Macintosh was already waiting for him at the gate.

Braeburn's expression went from blank to somber, as he took his hat off and placed it on his chest in salute..

"I got your letter in the mail yesterday. Took the first train to Ponyville possible. It's really true, isn't it? Applejack really is gone?"

Big Mac nodded, opening the gate for the visitor. "Ah wish it wasn't so, but it is so. The worst thing that's happened to the family since that fire took Ma and Pa. Did Ah say when the funeral was?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, if I read it right. Where is Applejack right now?"

"In the basement. Do you want to say hi to the family first?"

"Yeah. How has her sister been holding up? Apple Bloom, right?"

"Not very well. You'll see what Ah mean."

Braeburn followed Big Mac as they made the steps up the path, as he looked up at the house he hadn't seen in ages. It was like he remembered it when he was a colt, but something felt different now. Maybe it was the fact that this Sweet Apple Acres was now the location where three of his family members had died.

The red stallion opened the door for him, and Braeburn wasted no time going inside. He was uneasy as he wasn't sure what was waiting for him indoors, but he found Granny Smith on her rocking chair...and somepony with a blanket covering herself.

Not knowing the reason for it just yet, he decided to get playful with Apple Bloom. He sneaked up on her, stepping lightly on his hooves to stop any noise. She didn't know he was standing right next to her, right up to the moment when he pushed the blanket over to expose her little head. Even somepony as experienced as he was a little surprised by what he saw.

Her shivering had not stopped one bit, her fur standing even on her head. She brought the blanket even tighter on her coat until it was as tight as possible. Her face was more pale than he remembered, and he knew it wasn't good when her face was much paler than the rest of her body. But when she saw that Braeburn was here, it's like everything was better.

"Hi, Braeburn," she whispered. "He's said you'd be coming today. How's Appleloosa these days?"

"Apple Bloom, have you seen a doctor lately?" he said, ignoring the question. "You look paler than a full moon."

"It's nothing, really. Ah did get checked a couple of hours ago, the doctor said Ah'll be fine once Ah get some rest. He says it's from something called trauma, Ah'm not sick. What's a trauma?"

His heart sank from the words he was hearing. Big Mac was right, Apple Bloom was handling it terribly.

"It's something along the lines that you're shocked from something, and you're not getting past it, it's staying with you. And that's not a good thing."

Even though she still thought there was nothing wrong with her, she understood everything he had to say. Her temperature rose up shortly after, and she wasn't going to need that sheet as much as before.

"So why are you here? Ah know there's going to be a funeral and the rest of the family's coming in tomorrow, but he said you came here early for something."

"That's right. He needed help around the farm, finish up some chores before winter arrives. One of those things is helping him cut down the trees that are still standing. And it sounded like you could use all the support you could."

At the word trees, Apple Bloom froze up. The nightmare came back to her mind, and she buried her head back underneath the blanket. The feeling she let it all happen, let Applejack die...

Braeburn pulled the blanket off to the floor, only to see her curled up in a fetal position.

"Apple Bloom! What's going on?" Big Mac asked, rushing in to see what was going on.

"Ah'm the reason my sister is dead...Ah could have saved her, but Ah was too slow...so sorry for that, don't be angry with me, Ah didn't mean to..."

At that moment, she felt a jolt as Braeburn grabbed her with his arms and looked her directly in the eye with an expression that looked more like desperation than anything else.

"Get a hold of yourself, cousin! It was not your fault that she died, you weren't even in the Acres when it happened! I don't want you or anypony else taking blame for that, it was nopony's fault. Understood?" he barked at her, with an intensity even Applejack didn't have.

Apple Bloom forced herself to nod. "But you don't know what really happened...Ah was just too slow...we could have made it if Ah was faster..."

"What are you talking about?"

He felt a hoof tap his shoulder, and saw Big Mac was looking at him with a firm but caring look.

"Ah know what she means. It was a terrible nightmare she had last night, where she got to see Applejack again. That's what she's talking about."

Braeburn turned back to see Apple Bloom covering herself with the blanket again. Even then she seemed like herself for a brief moment in time, as the color in her face was back.

"Ah'm sorry. Ah know it was a bad dream, but Ah shouldn't be like that any longer. So when are you cutting down the trees?"

"I was thinking after lunchtime. Why do you want to know?"

"Ah was hoping Ah could help with that. It was something Ah had wanted to do before...you know what...happened."

Braeburn and Big Mac were puzzled with that, and the former looked at the red stallion for an answer. He waved a hoof into the other room, and they went over there to discuss the matter.

At least she was improving. She still felt awful, but she didn't need the blanket anymore and tossed it to the ground. Granny Smith said nothing, focusing more on the mental parts rather than the physical.

Apple Bloom waited on the chair, trying to listen as carefully as she could with the discussion. But from here, it was all mumbles and coded whispers. Not one word could be made out, and if she got any closer, Granny Smith would probably stop her from listening to something she wouldn't understand. But she almost went ahead and walked inside anyway. It was one way she figured would help her get by. But at the same time...

It was obvious already they wouldn't let her do the job because of the trauma issue. She took one look at a marked tree and felt a shiver go down her spine at once.

Big Mac and Braeburn came back, and she went over to her chair to await the answer. They glanced at each other, and Big Mac stepped forward.

"Ah don't think it's the right time for that today," he began. "We thought it was a good thing you wanted to help around the farm, but we think it's too soon after the incident that you should get some rest around here. Do you understand where we're coming from?"

She nodded, trying to hide how it was crushing her. "Ah think so. So it's going to just be you and Braeburn for now?"

"That's the idea," Braeburn chipped in. "Why don't you go into your room for a moment? I'll help your brother get something ready for lunch."

"OK. Thanks for coming over."

They watched her carefully while she went upstairs up to her room. She didn't seem too distressed over it, in fact, it appeared like it was a relief as her hooves had an extra bounce to them.

When she had seemingly disappeared into her room, they both sighed and went for their own chair. They slumped into place with a weight off their shoulder. Braeburn waved his face off with his hat, and Big Mac took the yoke off his back.

"Wow, I can't believe she bought it," Braeburn began. "You know neither one of us is any good at lying. So what got you started down that slippery slope?"

"Ah can't be doing that to her," said Big Mac. "It didn't feel right when Applejack said it was OK, and it feels even more wrong today. Is it bad to be doing this?"

"I didn't think so. She's had a rough weekend as it is. With the nightmares, the responsibility that she let Applejack die, it all added up to a filly that could use some help. I'm glad I came when I did. But why did you think it was wrong when Applejack was alive?"

"Honestly, she's just not ready for this right now. Applejack thought the same, you know. We didn't want Apple Bloom to be like us, growing up faster than we should have. She has her whole life ahead of her, she doesn't even have her cutie mark yet."

"What does that have to do with the matter? Even if she doesn't know her special talent yet, you know it's going to involve farming some way, or maybe something that Appleloosa could benefit from. It's in the family blood."

"But that's the thing. Ah don't want her to feel like she has to stay here to make us proud. If she decides to be a painter, that's something we will be behind."

Braeburn sighed again, and straightened up in his chair. "That makes sense, I guess."

Big Mac nodded in agreement, and saw that Granny Smith had been taking a nap all this time.

What they didn't know was that Apple Bloom had been waiting at the top of the stairs, hanging on every word. She watched as they explained their decision right in front of her, without realizing she was hearing everything they had to say.

She pressed her hoof on the ground in anger, furious at the mere thought that she was too young for this kind of work. Even though she was a little filly, she could do a lot of chores already, and she would get better when she grew up.

And then she listened again, when they resumed their talk.

"It's a pity about Applejack, isn't it?" said Braeburn.

"Yes, it is," Big Mac answered, his voice getting choked up.

"She was always a good hand out there. Determined, honest, and I could trust her with my life and feel safe."

"It's going to be hard, moving on from this point. Ah don't know how things will go on without her, but Ah'll try. It's not going to feel the same, anyways. Not like it used to be."

"You'll be fine. But you know she's in a better place now."

"Right."

With a reminder of what happened drilled into her head, Apple Bloom sulked when she went back to her room for real. She had managed to learn how not to cry even at these times, but it was still difficult to do, she wouldn't deny that.

One thing she had managed to bring in here, with permission, was Applejack's hat itself. The blood had managed to wash off with some scrubbing, and it was here, resting on one of the poles bordering her sister's bed.

She clung to it almost immediately after she came inside, as she found herself wishing AJ was back. But it couldn't happen. She had to learn how to accept it.

Instead, she did something that surprised even her. She took the hat when she went to bed, and placed it on top of her head. There was no reason to do that, at least for now.

But when she did have it on, it delivered a strange sensation. She felt stronger, braver, ready to conquer anything coming her way. Or maybe it's just what she wished it would give her. It would be the only keepsake other than pictures of Applejack she had left.

When she looked in the mirror at her reflection, the feeling grew even bigger in her heart. She felt like she made for a good Applejack stand-in, if it was necessary to have one.

Applejack stand-in. That phrase stuck in her head.

Before she could think about it further, she could catch the scent of something sweet downstairs, no doubt acting as her lunch. She placed the hat back on the pole and ran down the stairs.

When she came downstairs to the living room, the scent of a classic hay sandwich came out from the oven inside. She could hear Braeburn pulling out the tray from the kitchen, and flew into the dining room in anticipation.

Right there, she could see four plates with sandwiches on the table. Big Mac handed out the drinks as Braeburn and Granny Smith took their seats on the table. Braeburn's eyes lit up as he saw her come in.

"Big Mac said this was your favorite," he commented. "And one other thing. We're going to be working outside today, but when that's over, what would you say to a trip to Sugar Cube Corner?"

"That sounds great," she replied. "Ah just wonder if Pinkie Pie knows what happened yet."

Big Mac had eaten a little piece of his sandwich, and stopped in the middle of his second bite. "Ah'm pretty sure they all know by now."

-------------

"I really can't believe it," Pinkie Pie started. "I've never had a friend die on me before, and it's like a piece of my heart is missing or something. And I want to have that piece back, but it's impossible. I should know you can't get something like that back. So I keep working at the Corner, doing my job and making muffins and cupcakes. You know how they always cheer everypony up. But then I find myself making apple cupcakes, thinking Applejack will come in. And then I cry just a little when I remember that she won't."

"Ah know how that feels," Apple Bloom replied. "It's a real shame."

"A shame? Why is it a shame? It's a sad moment, because she was a big help at times," Pinkie continued. "I don't get why my friends used me as a weapon when she left after the rodeo. All I was doing was cheering her up, or at least that's what I was trying to do."

When Braeburn thought about taking his cousin to Sugar Cube Corner, he thought that a visit would pick her spirits right up. After all, Pinkie Pie was the famous Element of Laughter. Yes, she had a friend die, but even in the bad times she tried to do something with a sense of energy.

Instead, he seemed to have caught Pinkie the hour after she got the news. They had spent half an hour talking about how sad the situation was, without even considering an order He checked outside to see if the sun had already set. And the last time he looked, it was about to do just that.

But it wasn't bothering him too much. It did seem to him like Apple Bloom was beginning to open up again.

"Excuse me girls, but is there something you want here?" Braeburn interrupted. "I know you want to talk about this, but it has to be getting near closing time, and I don't want her being held up longer than she needs to be."

"Oh, that's fine," the pink pony said. "I usually have the store open later than usual. But is there something you want to eat?"

Apple Bloom looked up at the menu, and it appeared bigger than it actually was. Rows upon rows of different treats presented themselves before her, and it would be hard to pick just one. But yet she did.

"A apple cinnamon cupcake, please."

"Coming right up, one apple cinnamon cupcake, on the house! I figured that would help, a free cupcake...with apple frosting...apple. Applejack..."

She forced herself not to break down and went back into the kitchen to get the cupcake ready. It gave Braeburn a moment alone with Apple Bloom, something he didn't have since he got here.

The filly rested on a high stool, with her face over the counter along with her hooves. It seemed like she was fine, but you never know for sure when it comes to things like these.

"So, Apple Bloom, how was Applejack before she died?" he began.

"Fine," she replied, remembering that secret conversation vividly. "She was kinda worried about me when she went with me to school for the last time. If Ah had it right, she thought Ah might be growing up too fast." She stopped and read Braeburn's expression carefully, knowing that was exactly what Big Mac thought by now.

He shifted a hoof to the side and rubbed the back of his head, sweating a bit from the response. "You know your sister. She knew about a lot of things from experience, and you should listen to what she said. What did you think about it?"

"Ah thought she might be wrong about me. It's my choice if Ah want to work on the farm or not, and she respected that. That's why Ah was so happy when she would have let me help cut down the trees with her." Again, another close examination on Braeburn's reaction.

And he did nothing. His face was blank from emotion, and his pupils shrunk a bit like they were trying to hide from something. In the end, he made another salute with his hat, and pulled out a picture of Applejack he had inside.

"I had nothing but respect for her too," he commented. "And in the end, she was also right about a lot of things. I can remember so well how she was when her parents died. Did she ever told you about that time? Maybe she thought you were too young for it.

"She said something about it during that last walk, actually."

Braeburn looked back up at the fallen farmer's sister, and gave a weak smile. "And what did you think about that?"

"It was really sad, Ah can't deny it."

And I'm very sad about you, because you might be turning into her, he thought. It's the same story twice. I can see it already. Some tragedy happens in a young Apple filly, she grows up too fast, and it costs her a fillyhood. Celestia, please don't do the same mistake she made.

At precisely the moment his thought stopped, Pinkie Pie came back with a freshly baked cupcake, with light green frosting, a golden base, and a slice of a small apple on top. She had a tissue wiping away the tears with her free hoof.

"There you go! That's the Applejack Memorial Cupcake, finished. Please tell me it's good, I need to do something in her name that's not a party. Nopony wants a party when something like this happens."

Apple Bloom took it with her arms. This cupcake was quite different, yet similar to things Pinkie had made in the past. It still looked delicious, she went ahead and took a bite.

"Wow, this is the best thing Ah ever had here!" she shouted.

It was the best comment Pinkie had hoped for. She fell on her back and took deep long breaths. It needed to pay off big time, and it did.

-------------

Another cart rolled into Ponyville from the east, with cans clanging from behind, tied with rope. On the back was a big "Just Married" sign painted in big bold black.

The two pegasi in tuxedo and wedding dress held to the other's hoof tightly, never letting them go. They gasped in delight when they could see Ponyville right before them.

"It's just like you described it, Whirlwind!" the mare cheered. "So much simpler than Cloudsdale, and with all the small town charm to boot. So much better than Canterlot, thank Celestia you talked me into coming here instead."

"I told you that a pony like you would like it, Current Chaser," the stallion added. "The hotel I booked us into is like the rest of Ponyville, simple but elegant, and there will be no rush to do something on the spot. Not bad for our first honeymoon, is it?"

She kissed him on the lips as they arrived into town. They grinned enthusiastically as their carriage arrived at the Simple Oaks Hotel.

But something was weird about it when they looked around. Many, many ponies went through the lobby doors while they came inside.

One thing they noticed immediately was that they were all earth ponies. So what, Ponyville was more the earth pony town anyways. No, what was weird was that they all seemed to have a similar color palette, and almost everypony's cutie mark involved either farming, the west, or apples. Every single one.

"You did book a room in advance, right?" Current Chaser asked. "We might have arrived in the middle of a family reunion, judging from the way it looks out here."

"Of course I did," said Whirlwind. "You never know what might happen in Ponyville. They had a dragon storm in just a year ago, out of all things. I'll ask the manager what is going on here."

He came to the front desk of the hotel inside the lobby. The manager had stacks of bits lined up on the desk, counting them one by one. And by the looks of things, it was a grand day for her business.

"Hello. We ordered room 53 for the next four days. Do you have the key for that?" Whirlwind asked.

"Of course I do. Are you here for the same thing they are?" the manger replied.

"No, we had our wedding in Cloudsdale an hour ago. We're having our honeymoon in this town. What is the reason for all the commotion?"

"So you're not one of them. If you hadn't reserved that room in advance, it would have been snatched up too. They're all here as a family for a funeral for a member named Applejack. Really close friend to most ponies in this town. You'll hear about it soon enough."

Comments

[Slateblu1]

Well..... That's gona kinda ruin the honeymoon feeling isn't it?

And its good to see Pinkie with an emotion other than sheer joy. Even if it is sadness. Glad to see she's been hit by the news as well.