When Life Gives Ya Apples
It was a sunny day on the farm, with hardly any clouds in the sky. Little Applejack was sitting at her desk, along with little Big Mac. Their mother, Apple Pie, was giving a lesson on math. To Applejack, the lesson seemed to go on for hours and hours on end.
But, when Applejack couldn't take the boredom anymore, she raised her hoof and asked, "Mama, can we go play now?"
Apple Pie turned around. She looked a lot like Applejack, but instead of having the same straw colored hair, she had red hair, which was in a braid, with a little pink bow at the end. "But, what about ya math homework?"
"We can do it later," Applejack said. "Right, Big Mac?"
"Yup," Big Mac answered.
Apple Pie thought about it for a moment. "Fine, but ya have to answer my question: what do ya do when life gives ya apples?"
"Well, it depends on what kin' of apples ya get," Applejack answered. "Ya can get the sweetest apples in the world, or ya can get the rottenest apples in the world."
"That's very good, Applejack," Apple Pie said. "But, what would ya do if ya got rotten apples?"
"Well, if ya got rotten apples, that means that something bad happen'. So, ah would guess ya could try to make things better," Applejack said, looking at the sky.
"Ya could. But, what if ya couldn' make things better?" Apple Pie asked.
"Ah guess ya would jus' have to deal with it," Applejack answered, flatly.
Apple Pie looked at her daughter. "But, how would ya deal with it?"
"Ah don' know. Why are ya askin' me this?" Applejack asked, looking at her mama with a confused look.
"Ah jus' want to see that ya know what to do if somethin' bad ever happen' to ya," Apple Pie explained.
Applejack looked at her mama. "Why would ya want to see that ah knew what to do if somethin' bad happen'?"
"Ya need to always be prepared for what ever comes ya way," answered Apple Pie. "Do ya understand?"
Applejack and Big Mac nodded. "Yes," they both said.
Apple Pie smiled. "Then ya'll can go play, while ah get supper ready." At that, both Applejack and Big Mac ran off, as they started a game of tag.
~~~
It was the next morning, and Applejack, Big Mac, and their papa, Applebuck, were bucking the trees. Big Mac was a split image of Applebuck, only, unlike Big Mac, Apple Buck wore a brown faded hat. Appkejack smiled, she has always enjoyed bucking, especially when it was with her family. Applejack turned when she heard the sound of the front door opening. It was her mama, along with baby Applebloom. As Apple Pie sat Applebloom on the porch, next to Grannie Smith, she smiled.
She quickly hurried to join the rest of her family in bucking. Apple Pie picked a tree, and lifted up her legs to hit the tree. But, instead of hearing the satisfying sound of the apples falling into the basket, the only thing Applejack heard was her mama yelping, as she fell to the ground. Applebuck hurried to his wife's side and picked her up. He gently put her in the Apple Family cart.
Applebuck turned to his two shocked children. "Ah need to take ya mother to the hospital. Ya'll need to stay here and help Grannie watch Applebloom. Do ya understand?"
Big Mac and Applejack nodded. "Yes, papa." They said as they watched their papa hook the cart to him self, and quickly run off to take Apple Pie to the hospital.
Tears began filled Applejack's eyes. "What's gonna happen to, mama?" she asked Grannie Smith.
"Ah'm sorry to say, that I don' know, Applejack." Grannie Smith looked at Applebloom, who was sitting on the floor, playing with some building blocks. "We jus' have to hope for the best."
"Ah know, but ah'm just so worried about, mama," Applejack said, as a few tears fell down her cheek.
"Maybe, a goods night sleep will make ya feel better?" Grannie Smith suggested.
"Ah guest so," Appldjack agreed, grimly, as she and Big Mac followed Grannie Smith inside. As Applejack climbed up the stairs, she thought of the question her mama had asked only the day before. "What do ya do when life gives ya apples?" As Applejack entered her room, she wondered if mama had known that this would happen. And if so, why didn't she tell somepony?
Applejack claimed into bed and stared up at the celling. "Why did this have to happen?" She asked aloud, as she fell into an uneasy sleep.
~~~
The next morning was absolutely horrible. Grannie Smith was pacing around the Kitchen, not able to hold in her worry. Applebloom was sitting in her highchair, banging on the table. Which didn't make things any better. Big Mac was sitting at the table, along with Applejack. They were merely picking at their food, since they were to worry to eat. But finally, a knock at the door broke everypony out of their worried trance.
There stood a royal guard. Applejack heart dropped. As the royal guard entered to room, he took of his helmet, and began to speak. "I'm sorry, but your mother and father didn't make it."
Tears began to fall down Applejack's cheek. She tried to hold them back, but she couldn't. Applejack once again remembered the question her mama had asked her. Applejack also remembered the answered she had given her. But how could she deal with the fact that, not only her mama, but her papa too were now dead.
"W-What happen' to papa?" Appejack asked, though all her tears. "Ah thought he was OK?
The guard cleared his throat. "They both had a very rare sickness, it was not contagious, luckily. So, non of you should have it, but you'll all still have to get check just to make sure." He stopped talking, as if he was waiting for somepony to say something. But nopony did.
"You still haven't answered my question completely," Applejack said, finally breaking the the uneasy silence. "Tell me what happened to papa!"
The guard looked down at Applejack. "He collapsed while taking your mother to the hospital. You see, with the sickness they had, by the time you know somethings wrong, it's too late," he explained.
Applejack looked at the ground, knowing that no matter how much she wished, no matter how much she prayed, her mama and papa were gone forever, and they were never coming back.