Bam! The orange earth pony's powerful hindlegs gave the tree trunk another kick, sending a cluster of ripe apples tumbling into the basket beside her, filling it up as Applejack removed her signature hat to wipe the seat off of her head with her arm. For the past few days, she'd been working tirelessly to get a head start on apple-bucking season, figuring that it was better to begin early than to finish late. She checked the tree of her list, which stated that it was her twenty-fifth of the day, and gave herself a pat on the back. Dang, twenty-five in one afternoon? That's a new record!

"Heya, Sis? Don'tcha think yer workin' yerself just a little too hard?" Apple Bloom asked, trying to keep the worry out of her voice as her sister began pounding on another tree trunk.

"What'cha talkin' about, Apple Bloom?" Applejack asked between blows, apples descending from the tree like raindrops. "There's lots of work ta be done and Ah'm just makin' sure it gets...done!" Whirling around, she grabbed the basket with her tail and, in a fluid motion, caught the falling apples and filled the basket to the brim. "Besides, Ah like keepin' myself busy," she panted through the sweat and hard breaths of fatigue. "It's like tha old saying goes: 'No hard work, no gain.'"

"Ah'm not sure tha's how it goes," Apple Bloom remarked skeptically, grinding her teeth as the next few whacks boomed in her ears. "Applejack, Ah think ya should slow down an' relax fer a couple of days!" She shouted, her tiny voice unable to be heard over the blows on the wood. "We all know tha the thing with Twilight is rough on ya but Ah think yer overdoing it! Ya need a rest; ya hardly eat or sleep!"

As suddenly as it appeared, the banging stopped and Applejack peered over at Apple Bloom curiously. Heaving in a few breaths, she asked, "Ah'm sorry, Sugar Cube. What did y'all say?"

The filly huffed in annoyance. "Ah think ya should take a break. Look at ya! Yer exhausted!" Applejack, despite her hard-working, down-and-dirty nature, still always made herself presentable, washing her coat and keeping her blonde hair tied neatly back. Now her mane was dingy with split ends and hung in a matted clump while her coat was practically always covered in dirt and twigs. She stood on wobbling legs and, due to her custom of skipping meals to do farm work, had lost much weight. It was a miracle that she had as much strength and energy as she did.

"Ah can rest when tha work's done an' it's time to go to sleep."

"Ya hardly sleep!" Apple Bloom frustratingly yelled. "Ya just work, work, work an' that's about it!" She sniffled and fought to hold back her tears, her gaze angry but also hurt and sympathetic. "Ya don't eat, ya don't sleep, ya just work and let yerself waste away." The tears came flowing, leaving Applejack speechless. "Ya don't ever have time fer me or Big Mac or anypony else. Ya don't even feed Winona or take her out on walks anymore. Ah know you're hurtin' 'cause of Twilight not being around but it's still no excuse! The more ya push away the ponies tha love ya, the further away they're gonna be until one day ya can't even see them anymore!"

"Aw, Apple Bloom..." It pained to see the hurt on her sister's face and she felt awful for being the reason behind it. She stepped forward to hug her but Apple Bloom shuffled away and ran off towards the house, her sobs audible in the distance. With a heavy, regretful sigh, Applejack plopped down onto the ground and rubbed at her face irritatingly. "What have Ah turned into?"

Ever since Twilight vanished behind that magical barrier, Applejack felt as though she'd been gut-punched repeatedly by a buffalo with a muscle spasm. Nightmares soon followed so she refused to sleep and when food was presented to her, a sickly feeling developed in her stomach so she refused to sleep. At first, apple-bucking served as a distraction but it soon turned into something akin to an addiction, a way to dull the pain for her friend's absence. Apple Bloom was right; in her haste to forget her agony, Applejack had forgotten to take her friends and family into consideration. She rose to her hooves. "Ah've got ta make this right."

The Apples’ family home was naturally fragranced with the scent of freshly-baked apple pie as, like clockwork, Granny Smith tended to her baked goods in the kitchen. Seeing the elderly matriarch hard at work making scrumptious goodies and humming to herself brought a proud smile to Applejack's face. Inhaling the cinnamon-infused aroma, she panted gently as she stumbled into the kitchen, a room she hadn't visited in days. A wave of happy memories washed over her and she bit her lip to keep it from quivering. Granny Smith turned and greeted Applejack.

"Hey there, how've ya been? Long time since Ah last saw ya," the old mare smiled warmly. Without warning, Applejack dove forward and Granny Smith briefly shrieked before realizing that her granddaughter had her in a tight embrace, the orange earth pony's chest heaving as she lightly sobbed. "There, there, sweet thang. What's troublin' ya?"

Applejack lifted her head from off of Granny Smith's shoulder and sniffled, "Ah'm so stupid! I should've seen how mah moping around was affectin' y 'all, especially Apple Bloom. Ah'm so sorry, I..."

Granny Smith shushed her with a hoof and chuckled, "There's no need for apologizin'. Ya miss yer friend an' yer sad about it. It's natural. Just remember ta spend time with those that're still in yer life instead of focusin' on those that ain't. Believe me, Ah've been there." There was a pause, during which she sadly glanced over her granddaughter's shoulder. Applejack didn't have to look to know that Granny Smith was staring at a picture of her husband Cortland, who died when Bright Mac was twelve. Although she'd never gotten the chance to meet her grandfather, Applejack had been told stories about him from both Granny Smith and the other relatives, painting a picture of a tough but honest and good-natured stallion, the kind of guy that everypony aspired to be like. It was because of his example that Bright Mac turned out so great and in turn, passed his hard-working and kind-hearted traits onto his children.

"Ya miss him still, huh?"

Granny Smith sighed and turned her attention back to Applejack. "Every single day, Sugar Cube. Him, yer pa an' yer ma. They say that time heals all wounds, but that ain't so. Truth is, tha more time passes, the more ya feel tha ache of them not bein' there. The thing ta do is ta just remember all tha good times y 'all had. Ya know, Cortland was tha rough-an'-tumble type but he always knew how ta make others laugh. He used to say, 'If yer not smilin' or laughin' yer face off, ya might as well be gettin' ready for the grave. Humor lets ya know you're alive.'"

"Thanks, Granny. Ah really needed that. Ah'm goin' ta talk ta Apple Bloom an' set things right."

"Tha's great dear, but first, do ya know wha ya really need? A long shower 'cause ya smell like a pigsty!"

Author's Notes:

I came up with the name "Cortland Apple" for the name of Granny Smith's (presumably) long-deceased husband, since there's been no mention of him nor an appearance on the show, not even in a flash-back. Besides being another type of apple, Cortland is just a rustic, old-timey name.

Apple Bloom's outburst was vital since I felt that only she could bring Applejack's bad habits to her attention and it was just a sad scene to write. Children witnessing bad situations are always so brutally honest when given the chance.