A Memorable Photo By: Miasma
Applejack was sitting on the edge of her bed going through the Apple family album and placing each memorable picture that were taken today in the small paper slots. She sighed with her eye's weighing down on her. She was tired, sleepy, and most of all happy. After putting the last picture in its slot, she placed the book on her stool on the right side of her bed careful not to drop the stool. After all the Cutie mark Crusaders made it for her but wasn't exactly stable, a leg on the stool was an inch short and made the stool wobble at times.
After today, she was happy to say that today's reunion went well. Despite the fact that the barn was torn down but built back in place. Her room still held a hint of wet paint that made her extra sleepy, and dizzy. She glanced at her clock on her wall next to her window still. 8:46 P.M. The night was still young. She took a look outside her window. "The stars are out tonight, Luna must of thought that the stars deserved a night in the limelight" she decided to head outside and simply cool off and watch the night as it took it's course to revolve from rising in the East, and to falling towards the West. Her head was beginning to weigh down on her and thought to herself a step outside might relieve her rock filled head.
As She got off her bed and was starting for the door she took one last glance at the album. "Well, I never actually did go through the whole album. Darn thing is thicker than mud on a humid summer day." she walked towards the small brown muddy colored stool and picked up the album with her mouth, careful not to let her tongue rest over the book, and was descending the flight of stairs. When she came to the bottom she saw to her right, Big Mac eating a warm apple fritter from the left over pile from todays reunion.
She can smell the warm, crisp, flaky pastry from across the room.Big Macintosh Looked at the album and spoke with a mouthful of a sticky apple fritter "Hey there Applejack, Whudja got there?" He dismissively pointed a hoof at the album clenched between Applejack's jaw. Applejack set the album down on the counter next to her. "Oh, it's just the family album. Mah head began to feel a bit, hot and heavy upstairs- you know after today." Big Mac swallowed and let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, ah still can believe it was a good idea to have the family go on a hayseed ride in a cart going at 40 miles per hour through the west orchard. Darn fruit bats took over that whole acre and well, best not get on those bats bad side, else we'll be in one heckofa' pickle if we had them looming over us during the harvest." Applejack giggled at the thought of her terrible idea she came upon last night in her room while she was planning. "Well why don't you plan next times reunion." she playfully nudged him on the arm. " I know I'll do a better job than you little sis."Applejack simply grumbled under her breath "Good luck with that sugar cube."
After finishing the last of his apple fritter, he tossed the napkin he was using to hold the fritter in his hoof. "Mind if I come and keep you company, I sure as heck would like to see the album too. So that I can find some pictures of you when you were a foal. Golly you'd work granny Smith tired for the dozens of fritters you'd eat every week. I would actually worry that I actually did! get a sister with the body works of a stallion."Applejack grinned at him "Hey they were the best darn fritters I ever ate, and sure as heck I wasn't the only one" She poked at Big Mac's belly and laughed at her comment. Big Mac only gently pushed Applejack to the side and lead the way to the front porch.
"Look see I told yah you were crazy for them fritters" They both were looking through the pages when Big Mac stopped her page flipping and pointed a hoof at a picture of granny Smith cooking fritters for tonight's dinner with Applejack as a filly, about the age of her little sister, staring at the pot of cooking fritters. "Hmph, well like I said I wasn't the only pony who loved fritters." She then pointed at another picture similar to the last one except with Big Macintosh watching with a watery mouth.Big Mac only smiled at the photo with a slight blush on his cheeks.
After a while page flipping and joke cracking every once in while between the brother and sister. Applejack came across a photo that made her heart clench a bit. She stared at the photo forgetting that Big Mac was watching. In the picture the scenery of the photo was of the orchard still in it's early years. In the background were a distinctive orange filly with freckles and a crimson red colt with freckles as well. In the right of the photo was the barn's front porch. There was a caramel colored stallion with big dark brown gruffy looking mane. He was hugging a mare that had a bulged belly. The mare had a beautifully orange curly mane and her coat was red crimson. Both of them were looking deeply into each others eye's, smiling.
Applejack just stared at the photo, her throat tightening. Big Mac then joined her. "Eyup, that there is Ma and Pa." He let out a sigh "Gosh, they were the best, Mama all ways knew a way to calm us during them scary sign's of the Zapapple harvest. At nights she'd sing to you when you'd get nightmares." Applejack only stood there but then broke her silence."I loved it when she'd sing to me, it all ways calmed me down after those nightmares. Never messin' up either." Big Mac then looked to their father. "and Pa, all ways helping us stay on our hooves when time's where tough. He'd work overnight on the farm knowing that he can get injured out there in the dark and nopony would hear him. He'd all ways help us pull through harvest before winter. We'd starve without him." "and not only that, he'd give us a ride to Ponyville at times to accompany him when he went to buy tools for the barn." Applejack let out a chuckle "Heck I remember the day he got in a tassel with that other stallion for rippin him of."
"Eeeyup especially when it was pretty obvious that a wrench is not worth twelve bits" Applejack laughed and so did Big Mac."I wish they were still here."Applejacks slowly turning a bit more serious "Pa was doing everythin' he could to protect us that winter blizzard. It was cold and we were freezing. He went out to get more firewood but...Well...He just never came back. Ma then grabbed me Applebloom and you and took us to the attic to keep warm. I was scared. she then told us everything is going to be all right. She put you in charge and she went off to find him. She came back with tears in her eye's. She tried not to cry. To try and stay strong in front of us and to show that everything was going to be all right. But it wasn't all right." Applejacks eye's began to get watery. Big Mac laid a hoof around Applejacks shoulder. "We made it didn't we?" "Yeah-we did. Mama came down with a serious fever about a week after the storm....She didn't make it. You took her to Ponyville hospital leaving me and Applebloom. She was there for a few days, but she wasn't gettin any better."
Applejack let out a sigh and tore her eyes away and looked up into the star filled sky. "Applejack, they loved us and did their best to protect us. If we made it then they did what any parent must do. To do everything they can to protect there generation. and they'd want us to be protect the rest of the Apple family." Applejack then looked at Big Mac. "I just miss em' ,that's all I wish they were still here." "Hey we still got Granny Smith, and Applebloom. Now we have to protect them" He then motioned a hoof at the photo "as they did for us." "Yer right...But still, they could of...." Applejack's mind went blank not able to produce a solution. "Maybe there was nothing we could of did..." "Of course not, I was still a colt you were the same as Applebloom, and Applebloom, well she was still a foal." Applejack only faced the sky and stood there silently. Big Mac only let out a breath through his nose unsure of what else to say "It's starting to get late Applejack, why don't we head inside and get some rest. It was a pretty busy day today." Applejack glanced at Big Mac. "Yah know what Big Mac', I'ma stay out here for a few. Why don't you go on in and get some rest yer self. Don't worry about me, I'll come in. Just give me a moment." Big Mac looked at the album."Want me to take back the album?" Applejack began to walk towards the barn speaking from behind "Yeah, please do." Big Mac grabbed the album and headed towards the house.
Applejack opened the barn door and stepped inside, it was dark. She quickly found to her right a lantern hanging on a nail and its spark. She lit the lantern filling the room with brightness and found a latter towards the back of the barn. She trotted towards it and began to climb it. Careful not to drop the lantern in her mouth. When she reached the top she found the front window of the barn. She slowly walked over to the window and stared out the window looking at the stars. "Ma?... Pa?... If you can hear me?... I just wanted to say. Ah miss you. and I love you, both. I'm not sure how it feels to umm... pass. But I realized something. I'm not scared of it. If I do die... Then please. I want you to be there waiting for me when I do." A tear began to trickle down her cheek."and maybe I'll see Big Mac and Granny Smith there too. and then We'll wait for Applebloom and we can be a family again. Like the one we couldn't be..." She then began to speak to herself in sorrow "But fer' now, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbowdash, Pinkie Pie, Big Mac, Applebloom, Granny Smith, and the whole dang Apple family, Heck even Ponyville. Their my family, they been there through my life. Through happy, and tough times." She then spoke to the sky once more releasing a sigh "I gotta go...Gotta get some rest for tomorrow. I have a full schedule for tomorrow... I love you Ma, Pa...Goodnight." She tipped her hat towards the sky and at the same time. Two shooting stars zipped through the night sky with a slight twinkle sound. That from her parents they bit her a goodnight as well.