Chapter 1
Applejack stood in the open field of Sweet Apple Acres, the covered coffin before her. She had yet to find the Stetson that would become her trademark symbol in the future. Instead, she wore a black dress that covered her blank flank. Her big brother, Macintosh, stood to her right, his newly acquired cutie mark shining in the sun, completely contrasting the grimness of the day. Newborn Applebloom rested on his back. On her left stood her father, her shield, tears glistening in his eyes. Even now, on the saddest day of his life, he refused to let his children see his tears fall.
Applejack looked up to her father. “Daddy, where is Mommy?”
The brown stallion with the green mane started and looked down at his little daughter. “She's not with us anymore, darling.” He choked back a sob.
“Where did she go?”
“Some place far away from here.”
“When will she be coming back?”
A single tear broke free from her father's hold and rolled slowly down his cheek. “She's never coming back, sweetie. She's gone forever.”
Tears started pouring down the innocent filly's cheeks. “W-why? Why isn't she coming back? I thought she loved us? She always said she loved us!” She nearly shouted.
Her father turned to his little filly and wrapped his forelegs around her in a tight, loving embrace. “She did, sweetheart. She loved all of so much. The birth was just to much for her. She had to go.” He was crying in earnest now.
Applejack sobbed loudly into her father's coat. “I don't want her to go, daddy. We were going to the lake this weekend. We were going to celebrate Mothers' Day together. She said so. She said it was going to be just her and me. She promised!”
“I know, darling. I know. I don't want her to go, but we have to let her go. She can't stay here anymore.”
“NO!” Applejack screams. “NO! I won't let her go! If I ask nicely enough, I know she'll stay. She has to. She never says no if I ask nicely.”
Applejack's father squeezes his daughter tightly, crying silently into her coat. “I'm sorry, dear, but nothing can bring her back. I'm so sorry.”
Applejack broke the hug and galloped to the coffin. “Mommy, please come back! Please, Mommy! I need you! Macintosh needs you! Little Applebloom needs you! Please, Mommy, please comeback!” She started pounding on the coffin with her forehooves, tears flying out of her closed eyes. Applejack felt multiple pairs of hooves wrap around her an gently drag her away from the box that was holding her mother. She started hyperventilating as they pulled her further and further away from the grave site. The last thing she saw before she passed out was the coffin slowly lowering into the ground, surrounded by a unicorn's magic.
Applejack sat on her red and white checkered picnic blanket, a lunch for two spread out before her. To her left was the lake that her mommy had promised to take her to, the water a beautiful royal blue. She sat on her haunches as she lifted her lettuce and tomato sandwich to her mouth with her hooves.
After she swallowed she looked into the empty space in front of her. “Hurry up and eat Mommy. If you don't your sandwich is going to get soggy.” She paused as she listened to a voice only she could hear. “But I made this lunch for you. Please, mommy. At least try it. I promise it's good.” Applejack paused once again to hear the nonexistent voice. She leaned forward and took a bite out of the second sandwich. “See, that wasn't so bad.” She paused. “Why, thank you, Mommy. I added a special ingredient in yours. Can you guess what it is?” She pauses again. “No silly, it's love. Because I love you so much, Mommy.” Applejack finished up her sandwich, occasionally taking bites of her mother's. “Well, Mommy, we better get on home or Daddy will be mad.” She packed up the picnic supplies into her basket and picked it up in her mouth before trotting back in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.
Applejack opened the front door to the barn house and happily trotted in. She laid the basket on the floor next to her hooves. “Daddy, we're home.”
“We?” her father called from the kitchen. “Did you bring one of your friends over for dinner?”
“No, silly head.” Applejack galloped up to her father as he appeared around the corner and gave him a hug. “It's just Mommy and me. We told you last week we were going on a picnic, didn't we?”
“Darling,” her father placed her on the ground, tears in his eyes, “Mommy's gone. She can't come back.”
Applejack shakes her head cutely. “That's not true, Daddy. She's right...” she turned around and faced the empty living room, her delusion shattered. “... there.” she lowered her head to the point where her snout was nearly touching the floor, tears once again rolling down her orange cheeks. “S-she really is gone, isn't she, Daddy?”
Her father wraps her in a tight hug. “Yes, dear. I'm so sorry.”
Applejack looked back into her fathers eyes. “Can you bring her back, Daddy? Please tell me you can bring her back.”
Her father shakes his head. “I can't sweetie. Not even Princess Celestia herself could bring her back to us.”
“Can you at least ask her? I miss, Mommy. Make the Princess bring her back to us. She has to.”
Applejack's father looked down in pity at his daughter's state of slight insanity. “We can't trouble her with our worries darling. She has more pressing matters than a simple farming family.”
Applejack, pushed angrily away from her father. “Fine, then. I will go by myself.” She turns around and gallops off, her father trailing after her.
“Applejack!” he cried out, his breathing becoming labored. He collapsed to the ground, clutching at his chest with his hooves. “Please, Applejack, come back to Daddy.” His voice trailed into a whisper as his breathing slows. Slowly, his eyes glassed over and looked, unseeing, at Celestia's beautiful sun.