It had been hours since I'd first watched Bloom and Gloom. I was at work.
Then, suddenly, I realized that there was a whole other layer of character development hidden under the surface of the episode.
The three dreams have a definite arc to them. It starts with a general fear of inadequacy dream, and moves on to explore Apple Bloom's deepest fear in the other two. Abandonment.
The ultimate climax of this explores her greatest fear - getting thrown away by her family. Think about this. She has never known anything but love and support from the Apple Family.
So why the intense soul shattering fear of abandonment?
Her parents are dead.
Why has she always quested the hardest for her cutie mark? To have a cutie mark is to have a purpose, which existentially justifies her very existence. Because she has grown up under the shadow of the memories of her parents, guessing what they would have wanted.
Because they are dead.
When I realized this, my eyes went wide and I just sort of stared off into space, in total shock. I was at work. (Lol).
Bucking hell, it all makes so much sense now.
-Sprocket