Chapter 3: Reminders

Applebloom laid awake in her bed, thinking over her current situation while she waited for somepony to come and talk to her. In one day she went from a normal happy filly that could run and play with her friends, to a depressed blind pony who couldn't even tell what time of day it was. How was it even possible for something like this to happen? Shouldn't Celestia, as the ruler of Equestria, be there to keep everypony safe from harm, even going so far as to remove anything that can harm them? Applebloom started to shake as she thought about the timberwolves that had attacked her, her mind slowly playing over the entire scene picture by horrifying picture. Oh, why wasn't anypony showing up to-

"Applebloom?"

"Sweetie Belle?!" Applebloom shouted as she jerked upwards, hitting her head against something hard and pointy, "Ow..."

"Why'd you have to do that?" Sweetie said painfully, which told Applebloom that she had hit her horn when she jerked up.

"Sorry Sweetie..." Applebloom said sadly, tilting her head down towards her bed.

"Oh it's fine, Sweetie's just being a big baby" Scootaloo said from the other side of the bed, making Applebloom jump slightly, "How are you holding up Applebloom?"

"Scootaloo she's blind now, how do you think she's holding up?!" Sweetie Belle snapped, making both Applebloom and Scootaloo lean back away from her. It was unusual for her to snap when somepony was being silly, and it was also strange that Scootaloo was being the sensitive one.

"Are you guys okay?" Applebloom asked, knowing that they might be a little tense because of her blindness. Applebloom could hear a few sniffles from her right, which meant Sweetie was trying to not cry, but soon after there were sniffles from the left as well.

"You said you'd see us tomorrow, and now..." Scootaloo started, her voice cracking as she strained to keep herself from crying.

"...you'll never see us again!" Sweetie Belle cried, her sniffles getting worse, making Applebloom think she was full on crying now. Applebloom could do nothing as she listened to her two best friends cry next to her, knowing that the only reason they felt this way was because of her. If only she hadn't gone after her bow by herself, she'd still be okay...

"I'm sorry girls..." Applebloom whispered as she laid back onto her pillows, propping her self up with them so she could sit upright. She continued to listen as Sweetie Belle cried her eyes out while Scootaloo attempted to clam her down, but it wasn't working. Scootaloo decided to try and calm Sweetie Belle down by moving her out of the room, but it only made her cry more, her sobbing still being heard loud and clear through the wall.

"Sorry about her" Scootaloo said sadly as she came back to Applebloom's bedside.

"No, it's fine, this is all my fault anyways..." Applebloom said quietly. Scootaloo put a hoof onto Applebloom's shoulder and was about to say something to try and comfort her when the door opened, Sweetie's cries getting louder.

"Scootaloo, it's time for us to go" Sweetie Belle muttered through her tears, the sound of multiple ponies walking up from behind her getting louder. Scootaloo removed her hoof from Applebloom's shoulder and slowly trotted over to Sweetie Belle. Applebloom felt like Scootaloo looked back at her, quiet tears flowing down her face. When the door shut she felt completely alone again, but it was short lived.

"Applebloom!" Babs shouted as she burst through the door to Applebloom's room

"Babs?!" Applebloom said quickly, surprised that her cousin had come all the way from Manehattan to see her. Applebloom felt Babs land on the bed, pulling her into big hug before another pony came in and pulled her off Applebloom.

"Babs, you know your cousin isn't doing well, don't jump on her like that" Uncle Orange said with a slightly annoyed tone. Applebloom heard Babs squirm in her father's grasp before falling to the floor, her hooves clicking loudly on the tiles.

"How are you feeling Applebloom?" Aunt Orange asked from beside Uncle Orange, putting her hoof on the bed next to Applebloom. She didn't answer at first, but when she heard Big Mac's loud hoof steps coming towards the door she opened up.

"I feel fine, but I hate this" Applebloom said with a sour tone. She felt Aunt Orange rub a hoof along her mane to comfort her, eventually stopping to put her hoof on Applebloom's. Right then Big Mac and Applejack entered the room, the two of them bickering over something, but stopping as soon as they saw the Oranges in the room.

"Hello there" Applejack said, sounding surprised that they had come all the way to Ponyville to see Applebloom. There was an odd silence as they looked at each other, silently examining one another to see how they were feeling. Applebloom felt Babs climb onto the edge of the bed, her snout next to Applebloom's ear.

"What are they doing?" Babs asked, the touch of her mane letting Applebloom know that she was looking between her parents and Applejack. As they continued to look at each other Big Mac came to the other side of Applebloom's bed, sitting down with a thump as he kept his eyes glued to Applebloom's face. Babs climbed back down from the side of the bed and moved over to her mother, whispering something into her ear.

"Dear, I think we should leave them be" Aunt Orange said, snapping Uncle Orange out of his staring contest with Applejack.

"Oh, yes, we should" Uncle Orange said with a hint of sadness in his voice. He began to trot out of the room, followed right immediately by his family, getting a thankful nod from Applejack before he shut the door. Applejack then walked over to Big Mac's side, putting a leg around his neck.

"Hey sis" Applebloom said sadly, turning her head so she could look towards Applejack.

"Hey Applebloom, me and Big Mac are here now" Applejack said sadly, a sniffle sneaking out of her as she looked at Big Mac, "Big Mac found this out in the field where you were..." Applejack trailed off as she put something next to Applebloom's hoof. Judging by the feel of it she had given Applebloom her ribbon, the very reason everypony was feeling the way there were. Applebloom couldn't say anything, all she could do was cry, the though of Big Mac going back out there was just too much for her. As she broke down into tears Applejack sniffled again, quickly followed by her own sobs. The only pony in the room that wasn't crying was Big Mac, so he decided to tie the ribbon around Applebloom's mane, where it had always been before. When he pulled it tight he began to cry as well, sitting back down to hold Applejack as she sobbed. They stayed like that for the entire time they were there, leaving only when a nurse finally came in and told them they had to leave.

That night as Applebloom laid in bed she touched her ribbon, feeling regret for everything she had put Big Mac and her family through, not to mention her friends. Quiet tears ran down her face as she fell asleep that night...