A/N: For those of you wondering, yes, in my universe they do have summer school at Twilight's School of Friendship, so that's why Sunlight found her there a couple chapters ago. I realized that that little plot point wasn't explained very well, and I do apologize for that. I hope y'all are enjoying the story so far! Without further ado, I give you one of the saddest chapters I've ever written. Be prepared. Enjoy.
Flurry and Sunlight quickly raced from Sugarcube Corner and dashed down the road towards Sweet Apple Acres. They didn't know what they would find there, and they both dreaded finding out. The summer sun beat down on them, creating sweat as fast as their hooves churned up the dust and dirt on the road. Their collective fear was insatiable, and it ate them up as quickly as they ate up the mile or so it took to get to Applejack's farm.
They ran into the big red barn and looked around for Applejack. Having no luck there, they ran throughout the orchard, calling her name desperately. They hoped that the wounds might have been minor and she would be able to respond. "APPLEJACK!" They cried over and over again, but heard no reply.
"Oh, Flurry…" Sunset said tensely. Her cousin gave no reply and they continued through the orchard, but their methods had changed. They were no longer calling her name, but instead they were looking for her dead body. The two fillies gagged and choked at the thought of seeing another deceased friend, but yet here they were looking. First Pinkie, now Applejack, Sunlight thought, this is the worst day of my life!
They finally found Applejack among the trees, clinging to a shred of life. They breathed a sigh of relief as they quickly went to work administering some small medical assistance. "Help me, Sunlight!" Flurry said sharply as she pressed on one of Applejack's wounds. Blood flowed freely and she knew they had to stop it. She had read in one of her books where the hero of the story was wounded and the mare he was saving had to help him by stopping the bleeding.
"Sunlight, we need to make a tourniquet!"
"What the hay's a tourniquet?!" Sunlight squeaked. Even with all her knowledge, she had no idea what her cousin was talking about.
"It's something to help stop the flow of blood through the body. Now go get me a rag or a strip of cloth or something like that, and hurry! Hurry! We may be able to save her!"
Sunlight ran back through the trees and into the barn, her eyes darting back and forth looking for something to use. She finally found an old rag next to some of Applejack's tools. "Bingo!" She said out loud as she used her magic to float the rag above her head. She ran back to the scene and gave the rag to Flurry. Her cousin quickly used her own magic to tear it apart and tie it above Applejack's wounds.
The bleeding stopped, but they continued to hold pressure on it. "Thank goodness Apple Bloom was screaming like she was," Sunlight said, "now maybe the pony medics can get here and help her."
Flurry nodded when suddenly a groan was heard. Applejack tried to turn her head and address the young fillies, but Flurry kept it down with a hoof. "No, Applejack," she said, "if there's one thing I remember from when my Daddy taught me about helping hurt victims, it's to never let them move their head or neck. You might be terribly injured in that area and we don't want to make it worse."
Applejack conceded to Flurry's request and kept her head still. "Sunlight, are you there, sugar cube?" She asked softly. "Yes, I'm here, Applejack!" Sunlight replied. She fought through her tears and tried to remain strong for the injured farmer. But it was extremely difficult. She and Applejack shared a special bond, for Applejack had been something of a foal sitter for her when she was very small. Sunlight recalled the games Applejack used to play with her, and how much fun they always had together. She loved Applejack and always thought of her as a second mother.
"Applejack…please…" she said. She looked down and noticed Applejack smiling. "I may not be able to move this noggin of mine," she drawled, "but I can tell ya exactly what I see in ya. I see somepony who's gonna be one hay of a Princess of Friendship one day. Yer Ma and yer Pa should be powerful proud of ya. I know I am."
Sunlight couldn't hold it in any longer. She began sobbing and lay her head on Applejack's. "There, there, sugar cube," Applejack said through her pain, "it's gonna be okay."
"No, it's not!" Sunlight sobbed, "you're gonna…you're gonna…" She couldn't finish her sentence and just sobbed into Applejack's orange coat. The farmer wanted so desperately to comfort the foal, but she couldn't move her head or her hooves. But she could still use her words.
"Listen, sugar cube, you've gotta press on and do what needs to be done, even without me there with you. I know you consider me a close friend, and I consider you a powerful one as well. But I'm about to rest next to my own Ma and Pa, and I'm ready for it. I've lived a good life. I've had the most wonderful family and friends to enjoy it with. I'm sorry, sugar cube, but it's my time."
"No! It's not your time!" Sunlight wailed, "there's so much more that you could experience!"
"So go and experience it for me," Applejack said, "and enjoy it. 'Cause there ain't nothin' worse than livin' a life with regrets. I have none. I'm so glad I got to know you and Flurry, too. Tell yer Ma I love her and yer Pa, too. They're two of the truest friends I ever did know; and, Sunlight…I love you, too, sugar cube."
"I love you, Applejack" Sunlight said softly as Applejack closed her eyes and went to sleep forever. Sunlight backed away as her mane and tail drooped. She couldn't cry. She couldn't do anything. The loss in front of her was so deep and so cutting that all she could do was sit there. Her heart ached for Applejack.
She looked up and saw tears in Flurry's eyes as well. Suddenly, she became very angry with her cousin. She got up and went and smacked her with a hoof. "OW!" Flurry yelled, "what the hay was that for?!"
"You said that tourniquet would stop the bleeding! You said we could save her!"
Flurry quickly grasped her cousin in an embrace, trying to tell her that she wasn't alone in this situation. "Let me go, Flurry!" Sunlight squeaked indignantly. "I'm not gonna do that," Flurry responded, "I never said we could save her. I said we MIGHT save her. I never made any guarantees! Look, I'm just as sad and upset as you are that she's gone. Do you really think I wanted this to happen?! No! I never wanted this! We had already lost one good friend today. Do you think I wanted to lose another one?!"
Sunlight looked up at her cousin with tear stained eyes. Had she really lashed out at her, even after she had done everything she could to save Applejack? She buried her face in Flurry's coat, sobbing as she did so. Flurry put her head down around her cousin's. "I'm so sorry, Sunlight," she whispered, "but I swear I did everything I could."
"I know," Sunlight whispered back, "I'm sorry I hit you. It was wrong. But I just miss her so much…"
"I know you do," Flurry said, "but you've gotta work past this. Applejack wouldn't have wanted you behaving this way."
Sunlight sniffled and nodded. She knew that Applejack would've been disappointed with her reaction. She had smacked her best friend out of grief and anger and still the heartache continued. She didn't know if she could find the words to describe it, so she sat there and sobbed into Flurry's coat. The cousins held each other and silently mourned. It was all they could do.