A/N: I hope that the third chapter hadn't come too late. I tried to get it up quicker, but things got in my way. I write better when I am depressed, and I am… So expect a good chapter… I hope. If you want one of your characters added into this, just p.m. me. I will give you directions from there. That is, if you want to.
Also, the major inspiration to this chapter is my girlfriend, and her mother. I love you both and hope things improve…
The lightly colored Pegasus stepped into her house. "Derpy, I am home. I hope you didn't destroy anything too much…" She muttered the last part under her breath. She had been taking care of her cousin ever since the winter that had nearly killed both of them. It had seriously injured Ditzy do, who became Derpy afterwards. She set her saddlebags down. The memory of that day, three years ago, flashing through her mind. That poor unicorn she would think every time she stepped into that door. She closed it behind her and heard it latch. She looked around the lightly lit house. Derpy wasn't here. She must have been out still delivering mail.
The Pegasus sighed and continued through the house to find her room. She stared at a picture that had been taken three years ago. The picture was of her and Sapphire. It was a day before the fire started. The mare smiled at the picture. "It's been a while… And yet you still linger in the back of my mind… As if you were still here." She said to the picture.
The mare spun around to the sound of a door swinging open. She readied herself to fight, but found nopony but her cousin. "Don't do that, Derpy. I keep telling you, but you don't listen." She warned, but couldn't stay angry.
"Sorry, Daisy, I just thought I'd give you a muffin before I ate it… But I ate it…" Derpy said, frowning slightly and lowering her head.
"It's okay, Derpy, I'm not very hungry right now anyway." Daisy said, bringing herself to her cousin and bringing her hoof down her mane.
Derpy smiled and hugged Daisy. "Thanks for comforting me. I'll be in my room, drawing, if you need me." She smiled, left the room, and sung the whole way to her room.
Daisy sighed. Sometimes Derpy could be too much. It was easy to keep her happy, but it drained more energy out of her than it should. She groaned and flung herself on the bed. I'll just deal with it later she thought. She closed her eyes and started to hum a lullaby that she sung for Derpy every night. Soon she was slipping into the softness of a nice dream.
Sapphire looked at the trembling Blitz. "You seemed so fearless when you were in the forest. What happened to that Blitz fire?" She asked.
"I-it's nothing… I just don't want to go in there." She said, still trembling. "Besides, it's none of your business." She added.
"Okay, well I don't need to know what I don't need to know." Sapphire said, turning to enter the orchard when Blitz piped up.
"I'm sorry… I just… I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean to burn half the orchard. Just the one tree. I was trying to get rid of a dead tree that wasn't producing any apples when my sister, Rainbow dash, came by and challenged me to a race. I knew that I wasn't going to win, but I couldn't just let it go like that. I can't back down from a challenge. I left the burning tree and I didn't come back and the trees around it caught fire, then eventually the orchard was in a blaze." She admitted.
"Oh… Well did you ever apologize?" Sapphire asked.
"No, why would I apologize for my sister challenging me?" Blitz asked. Her shaking had almost stopped now. "She had distracted me and took me away from my job. Why would I apologize for that?" She asked, a tone of disbelief in her voice.
"Because it was your responsibility to take care of the job. You failed by doing something else. You owe her, and the other apples, an apology." Sapphire said, leaving those words lingering as she turned away from the conversation and headed towards the barn.
When she reached the barn, it seemed desolate, but she knew that Big Mac or Granny smith were probably there. Maybe they have become more busy and successful and possibly they have just built a new barn somewhere else. But this barn looked rather new.
Sapphire took a deep breath and she was about to knock on the door when she heard an apple get bucked in her direction. Her first reaction to the apple was to shield herself. The dark magic disintegrated the apple, turning it to nothing more than a few pieces of ash blowing away in the wind.
"Woah nelly! That there is some mighty strong magic ya got. Might even be better than Twilight's." A country mare yelled out from the tree she was at.
Sapphire recognized it easily and nearly jumped in joy. It was a little deeper than the last time she heard it, but there was no doubt that it was Applejack. "Applejack!? Oh my Celestia! It's been too long. Please tell me that you remember me." Sapphire asked as she turned around and she took in the sight of the mare and her little sister. "Wow, Applebloom… last time I saw you, you were a little foal." She said. She started to approach the duo and stopped when it seemed that she was no longer in their memory. Their faces made it obvious.
"What in tarnation are ya talkin' 'bout? Ah don't think we've met before… What's yer name?" She asked. There was a faint sign of recognition in her eyes as she tried to remember. She searched her memory of ponies that she had met… but from when Applebloom was a foal? She didn't remember anypony from then. But then it hit her. That pony that had lost everything in one day. The one that she had given her pillows and blankets to. "S-Sapphire? Ah thought ya were dead! I heard that the fire had killed you an' yer sis. By the way, where is she?" Applejack asked, as if she was expecting the little runt to jump out of nowhere.
Sapphire stayed silent as she was asked about her sister. "She... She didn't make it…" She said finally after a few seconds. She wanted to tell Applejack everything from the beginning to now. "Can I come inside?" She asked, a wave of grief overcoming her. She knew her sister was still with her, but she wasn't physically there.
"Sure. Come with me." Applejack said. She looked to Applebloom, who seemed confused, but excited at the thought of meeting a new pony. "Why don't ya say hi, Applebloom?" She asked. She herself felt like jumping at her old friend, but she knew that she couldn't lose her cool in front of her sister like that.
"Hi! Ah'm Applebloom! I'm part of the cutie mark crusaders and we are on a quest to find out cutie marks!" She cheered aloud for herself and the other cutie mark crusaders.
"Hey, Applebloom. It's nice to meet you again. It's been three years, kid. I must ask though, what are these cutie mark crusaders you talked about?" Sapphire asked.
"Here we go…" Applejack sat down, getting ready for another description.
"Weeellll…" Applebloom started the story and kept rambling about other things that her and the others have done.
After an hour of Applebloom explaining things, going through adventures, and talking about her two friends, Applejack finally stopped her. "That's all nice, and ya have been talkin' fer a while now, but maybe ya should go 'n get some sleep. It is gettin' close ta dark now." She said, putting a hoof over her sister's shoulder.
"Awww, but ah don't wanna!" Applebloom said defiantly.
"Go ta bed, Applebloom." Applejack said. She gave her a slight shove and she turned to Sapphire. "Sorry 'bout that. She tends ta get carried away. Come with me, I wanna talk ta ya." Applejack said, pointing to the barn.
Sapphire nodded, a little curious as to why they were going into a dark barn, but she didn't question. After the doors came within feet of her, she had to ask. "Why here?" She questioned finally.
"Because ah wanna talk without her getting' inta it and Big Mac listnin' on ma conversations." Applejack started. "Now, I wanna know why you disappeared without telling me. Ah thought you died. Why would you just leave like that? Ya had me so worried when neither you nor your sister came by the next day." She finished.
"I'm sorry… But I… I had to leave… You see… I…" Sapphire took a deep breath and tears swelled in her eyes. "I killed my sister! The windmill had caught fire and she started to burn and she looked like she was in so much pain! I tried to help her, but she was going to burn to death… I had to help her… I don't think she is completely dead though… I still hear her voice all the time…" She confessed.
Applejack stood there, petrified from what she had just heard. "Ah can't believe what I am hearin'. Are ya tellin' me the truth? Ya killed your own sister ta save her from burning to death?" She fell on her rump, flabbergasted at Sapphire's words.
"Y-yes… I didn't know what else to do… I couldn't just let her burn in that building with a broken back…" Sapphire said.
Applejack shook her head. She then started to laugh slowly. "Ya got me. We have just met and ya already pulled one over on me." She said, obviously not wanting to believe that he friend had killed their sister.
"Let me try, Sapphire. I want to see if I can't get her to believe." Ruby said, her voice ringing out inside sapphire's brain.
"Okay… I can try." Sapphire said back, listening to Applejack laugh in her spot. She felt herself slip from her body, seemingly locked away in a safe. She could feel everything that had happened, but couldn't stop it, nor alter the direction.
Ruby stepped forward, disguised in Sapphire's body. "Applejack," She said, a voice that seemed different than her sister's, This was her own voice. "It is all true. She saved me from burning. Although, the process to save me was kinda painful, but still. I am temporarily taking control to tell you that she is right and telling you the honest truth. I know she wouldn't lie to you." Ruby said, then could feel the magic inside her sister's body dragging her back into the dark. "I have to go now, but I will be able to talk to you through my sister." She said, then a gasp was heard as the transfer reverted.
Applejack sat there, frozen again. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came.
"I'm sorry… I'll just go… I have to go home anyway, I do live in the everfree after all. It gets pretty dangerous at night." Sapphire said, turning to leave. She was stopped when a hoof touched her shoulder. She exhaled as she recognized it as Applejack's. She turned and hugged her friend, who was still at a loss for words.
Applejack got up as Sapphire turned to leave. She placed her hoof on her shoulder as she tried to think of something to say, but was happy when she didn't have to. She was engulfed in the hug and felt the strength in Sapphire's legs and hoofs. "Ah… Ah love you, Sapphire." She said finally.
"What? What does-" Sapphire started, feeling adrenaline run through her and a blush splash across her cheeks.
"Friend wise." Applejack said to save herself.
"Oh… Okay." Sapphire said, happy, yet somehow unhappy about it as well. She felt her heart slow down now and her adrenaline burst empty. She knew that there was something else though. Either behind Applejack's words, or her own.
"Ah just don't know how ta react ta somethin' like that." Applejack admitted. "It's just that-" She was cut off by Sapphire.
"You aren't used to it." Sapphire finished the sentence for her.
"Exactly." Applejack said. She jumped when she heard a thump against the door of the barn. "What in tarnation was that?" She asked, moving to the door and opening it to reveal a cyan Pegasus with a black and red mane. "Blitz!" Applejack yelled and raised her hoofs up to stomp down on Blitz's ribs.