This was indirectly requested by Wageofwar on Fanfiction.net.

This is a short side story based around Sweetie Belle, after she learns about the horrible death of her sister. I kind of did forget to include what happened to her in the main storyline.

This is actually the first in a number of short 'addon' stories that I will be writing as part of my Love and War fanon. They may not be written in chronological order, but mainly in response to requests from those who enjoyed the story, and are wondering what happened in some of the 'time-lapsed' scenes.

...

Love and War

08

Apple Belle

...

It could not be true.

Her sister, her only remaining family member...

Rarity was dead.

Not slain at the hoof or weapon of a Gaean soldier... but by the magic of one who was supposed to have been her best friend.

Twilight Sparkle had murdered her beloved older sister.

Sweetie Belle had run all the way back to the small house the Apple family was currently calling home, crying all the way. She ran past Granny Smith and into the small room she shared with her friend Apple Bloom.

She dove onto the straw pile she currently called a bed and buried herself under her potato sack blanket.

She hated Twilight. Hated her so much, but knew she could never get any form of revenge on her. Her magic was barely enough for her to manage simple tasks, like lifting pencils, or food to her mouth.

She heard the soft, yet heavy hoofsteps she had come to recognize as Big Mac's. She poked her head out, tears streaming down her face. "Why?" Her normally sweet voice cracked. "Why did Rarity have to die? Why did... Twi... Twi..." She tried to say the name, but it would not come. "Why did that witch have to murder my sister?"

Big Mac was not certain exactly what had happened. He had not been able to go see his own little sister yet, but had heard she had come back alive and well. "Now now." He walked over and sat next to the tiny filly. "Twilight ain't no witch. She's just real good with that magic stuff. Ah dun know what happened. If'n ya like, I can accompany y'all back over to their place an' we can sit down an' talk it out."

"No. I'm never talking to that evil murderer ever again." She rolled onto her side and pulled the blanket over her head with her magic, not even noticing she had done it.

Big Mac sighed and left the room. He looked back at the poor filly and shook his head. The poor thing.

...

Sweetie Belle had dozed off, having exhausted herself from crying, but the sound of Applejack's voice woke her up. She slipped from her bed, the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders and covering her body.

She peeked out the door and saw the orange pony. Apple Bloom was with her, staring at those strange blue metal legs.

"Can Ah get a pair ah them? They look really cool." Apple Bloom asked, youthful energy all about her.

"Ah dun think so Apple Bloom." Applejack shook her head. Sweetie Belle could she looked absolutely miserable, her eyes dark from lack of sleep, and the dark stains under her eyes. "Now, Ah just wanna be left in peace fer a while. Ah just lost one ah mah best friends."

Apple Bloom hung her head, her ears drooping. "Ah sorry Applejack, ah really am." She then spotted Sweetie Belle. "Oh Sweetie Belle..." Her face fell even more as she approached the door.

"Sweetie Belle?"

"What." Her voice sounded dry and weak.

"Ah really sorry 'bout Rarity."

Sweetie Belle turned and dragged herself back to her bed and lay down.

"Sweetie Belle?"

Silence.

"Aww come on, please? Can we just talk? Ah find talkin' always makes me feel better."

Mumble mumble.

"Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom prodded her friend.

Sweetie Belle curled into a ball. Mumble mumble.

Poke poke, nudge nudge.

"Leave me alone..."

"But..."

"Leave me alone so I can die and be with my family again."

Apple Bloom looked shocked. She frowned, but then gained a determined look on her face. "No."

A bloodshot eye peeked out from under the blanket. "I said... I just want to die. I miss Mommy and Daddy. I miss Rarity."

"Ah miss mah ma an' pa too you know. They died when I was only three, but ah still remember them. Ah never gave up."

"That's because you still have your family."

Apple Bloom stopped right there. She hung her head. She did still have Granny Smith, Big Mack and most of Applejack. She just turned and left the room, her own tears starting to fall.

Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and wished she would die.

...

Sweetie Belle refused to eat dinner, and breakfast the next day. She even refused to drink anything.

The Apples were very worried for her. They had to think of something or they would loose her as well.

Applejack returned to Twilight's.

"Hey Twi, you there?"

"I'm here Applejack." A very tired sounding Twilight spoke.

Applejack entered the small house. She gasped at how horrible Twilight looked. Dawn lay next to her, looking not as bad, but not anywhere near good either.

"Y'all look terrible. Didn't either ah ya sleep las' night?"

Twilight shook her head. "No... I've hardly slept since..." She looked away and sobbed. "I'm a horrible pony... Sweetie Belle... I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."

"There was nuthin' we coulda done Sugarcube. Them Gaeans messed Rarity up so bad, her body an' mind. Ah mean, none ah us saw what really happened, but I know you ain't ever lied to us before."

"But... I should have tried to cure her... somehow. I... I was so scared, I acted... I just reacted. I wasn't really even thinking clearly." Twilight looked back at Applejack. "Oh Applejack... Sweetie Bell must hate me so much. I should have tried to save Rarity."

Applejack hung her head a little. "She ain't eatin' or drinkin' nuthin'. Apple Bloom told us she said she wants ta die."

Twilight hiccoughed and sobbed again. "I... there's nothing I can ever do for her..." She then seemed to shiver and her head bolted up. "Applejack?"

"What is it? Y'all got one ah yer bright ideas?"

"I know this a lot to ask... but can you... the Apple family adopt her? She needs a family more than anything now, one that will accept her and love her." She stared hopefully at Applejack.

"Ah dun see why not. Ah mean, we wus takin' care ah the lil' angel up till now." She smiled at Twilight. "Ah think this is one ah yer best ideas ever." She then turned and galloped off.

...

Concerning the current legal system, as loosely as it was currently stuck together with some bailing wire and a few pieces of old bubble gum, there was one that was pretty solid.

Every pony who had managed to reach this new land had been found and registered. There were a lot of orphaned foals, and to make sure they did not fall through the gaping cracks of the current society, adoption was strongly encouraged.

Applejack had already spoken to Granny Smith and Big Mack about Twilight's idea, and there had been no doubt at all, it was a wonderful idea.

At the small census office where everypony was listed, the mare filed for legal custody of Sweetie Belle. Applejack had no difficulty in filling out the forms, having them processed and finalized.

It had only taken two days, but Sweetie Bell was once again a part of a family. Now came the hard part.

Telling her and hoping she would accept the Apple family as easily as they would accept her.

...

Sweetie Belle lay on her bed, her breath quite shallow. She still refused to eat or drink. She wanted to join her family.

She heard the unmistakable hoofsteps of Applejack as she entered the small house. She didn't care though. One, maybe two more days and she would just fall asleep and wake up with Mommy, Daddy and Big Sister.

"Sweetie Belle?"

"Not eating... Wanna die. Wanna be with my family." Her sobs sounded dry, like she had run out of tears.

"Sweetie Belle, d'ya think ya can at least lookit me fer a moment? Ah gotta tell ya sumpthin real important."

She peeked a horribly bloodshot eye that was sunken and surrounded by horrible looking dark circles.

Applejack choked at that tiny bit she could see. She could see this filly really had truly lost the will to live, and gained the will to die.

"Sweetie Belle, Ah wanna say Ah'm terribly sorry fer what happened to Rarity. Them Gaeans really messed her up an made her attack Twilight. She dun wanted ta kill her. Twi had no choice..." She placed a metal hoof on the filly's shoulder. "But Ah can say one thing fer certain. Ya ain't alone. Y'all got a family, in us. Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith an' mahself."

She held up the papers. "Sweetie Belle, y'all part ah th' Apple family now. Ah got the papers here. Ya know we all love ya like ya wus one ah our own, ya know that don't ya?"

"Paper means nothing. Leave me be to die." She pulled the blanket back over her head.

"No." Applejack stood and lightly stomped her hoof on the floor. "We dun let ah family crawl up an' die. We Apples defend an' protect an' care fer one another. You. Are. Not. Going. To. Die." She spoke so clearly, and with almost no hint of her usual farmpony drawl.

Sweetie Belle peeked back out. "But..."

"Ah ain't taken no buts from ya lil' sis. Y'all part ah this family now." She pulled the blanket off. She wanted to cry at the sight that lay curled up before her.

Sweetie Belle's ribs were visible. Her face withdrawn so terribly.

The foal, her despair was literally eating her up, stealing her life away.

She grabbed Sweetie Belle and pulled her into a gentle embrace.

Sweetie Belle was shocked at the gentleness, warmth and love in the embrace, just like Rarity would give her to make her feel better.

She felt it in her eyes. Tears as she started crying into Applejack's chest.

The rest of the Apple family entered the room. Apple Bloom was the first to join the hug. "Welcome ta th' family lil' sis." She cried happily.

Big Mac just sat beside Applejack, giving her support as she leaned against him for strength.

Granny Smith hobbled in, a smile on her old, wrinkled face. "Ah got me a new granddaughter." She sat nearby and just watched, content that the younger generation would do well.

...

Sweetie Belle may not have eaten or drank anything in only a few days, but it looked like she had not had anything for a week, so skinny she was.

She accepted a little food and water, eating and drinking only a little at a time till she started to regain some of her strength.

Three days after she was so lovingly accepted into this family, she was starting to eat normally, and by the fifth day, she was starting to look healthy again, if only a little thin still.

She swore to never let such sadness take her over again. She was now an Apple, and Apples didn't give up, no matter what.

Sweetie Belle didn't mind being the little sister, seeing that Apple Bloom was a couple months older. She had always been the little sister with Rarity, and it was something she was comfortable with.

"Um... Applejack?" She asked one day out of the blue.

Applejack turned from her chore of washing the dinner dishes. "Yea Sweetie Belle?"

"I... I don't have to start talking like you or Apple Bloom or Big Mac... Do I?"

"Ah heck no. Ya may be an Apple, but y'all will always be yer own little pony. Ah would think it odd if'n ya started talkin like us farm pony."

Sweetie Belle smiled. "I'm glad. I don't think I could try to sing if I had an accent like that."

"Ah ain't got no ak-sent." Applejack raised an eye, then smiled. "But Ah know Ah talk different than most ponyfolk." She hugged her youngest little sister. "Ah love ya Sweetie Belle. I honestly an' truly do."

"I love you to Applejack. And that's the truth." She then frowned. "I still hate that witch."

Applejack sighed. She could only hope that time would heal those wounds.

Happy ending for Sweetie Belle... for the most part...