S3 E8: Apple Family Reunion (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)
Inside the barn of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was helping Granny Smith sort through some boxes. Said boxes were old, and very dusty. They had been stored away up in the loft, and had not been touched for a very long time.
At last, Applejack found the box she'd been looking for. It contained all of the Apple family's prized heirlooms. "Ha! Found 'em!" she declared to Granny Smith, as she tossed the box onto the ground.
Some of the dust found its way into Granny Smith's nose, causing her to let out a rather audiable "Aaa-choooo!"
"Gesundheit," Applejack said with a slight chuckle, then her voice changed tone to one of concern "You've been sneezin' an awful lot lately, Granny. Maybe ya oughta rest for a while, and leave everythin' to me."
"Ah, I'm fine, Applejack," Granny Smith replied "It's just all these old dusty objects, it's enough to make anypony sneeze. I'll be fine by the time of the reunion. Still can't believe it's been almost two years since our last family reunion. Aw, I remember it like it was yesterday."
"Well, you have been talkin' about it pretty much every day since then," Applejack commented "And goodness knows how much you enjoy these reunions."
"Yeah, it seems like every reunion a fond new memory joins the collection," Granny Smith replied, then she turned to Apple Bloom and asked "Apple Bloom! How them RSVPs comin' along? I wanna know just who's gonna be showin' their muzzle at this reunion, so I can start plannin'."
"Just about everypony!" Apple Bloom exclaimed eagerly "I'm gettin' letters from all over Equestria, I'm surprised the mail box can handle them all!"
"Everypony?" Granny Smith asked nervously, and whispered to Applejack "Feathers on a goat. We're gonna need a bigger cider trough."
"You sure about that, Apple Bloom?" Applejack asked "It's possible you could've mistaken some of the other mail for RSVPs, I know I have."
"Oh, I know for a fact I haven't made a mistake," Apple Bloom boasted "I've got RSVPs from Apples from Yonder Hill, Hollow Shades, Galloping Gorge, Foal Mountain, Fillydelphia, Tall Tale Town, and all the Apples from Appleloosa!"
"Well, I'll be," Granny Smith commented "I knew things had been lookin' up for that town ever since the peace treaty with the buffalo, but I didn't think it'd become such a huge town in such a short amount of time. Took years for Ponyville to have a population even close to a portion of Canterlot."
"Oh! And how could I forget?" Apple Bloom remarked "I've got RVSPs from Manehattan, includin' Babs Seed! I'm gonna get to see my favorite cousin!" And she carelessly knocked the letters aside, as she pranced happily around the barn.
"Sounds to me like we've really got our hooves full," Applejack said to Granny Smith "I'm probably gonna need my friends help to get everythin' ready in time. How 'bout you, Granny?"
But Granny Smith didn't reply, she had fainted.
"Granny Smith?" Applejack asked in a worried tone of voice, there was no reply. Quickly taking charge of the situation, Applejack rushed to Granny Smith's side, and helped her up "Come on, Granny Smith! Up and at 'em!" Applejack said seriously, groaning under the weight. Then, she shouted to Apple Bloom "Tell Big Macintosh to run into town and fetch Doctor Muffin Top!"
"On it!" Apple Bloom replied, and raced out of the barn as fast as her legs could carry her.
"Just hang on, Granny Smith," Applejack thought to herself, as she escorted Granny Smith inside the house "You're not going to miss out on this reunion, not if I can help it!"
Big Macintosh had already departed by the time Applejack managed to get Granny Smith upstairs, and into her bed. Fortunately, by this point, Granny Smith had regained consciousness (though she was still a bit dazed).
Doctor Muffin Top arrived shortly afterward, and instructed Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big Macintosh to wait outside while he examined Granny Smith. "Patient privacy is always a priority, even for house calls," he explained "I shouldn't be long." And indeed he wasn't, it only took a few minutes for him to come back out of Granny Smith's bedroom. But for the Apple siblings, those few minutes had seemed to stretch on forever.
"Well, Doc? Is Granny gonna be okay?" Big Macintosh asked.
"She'll be fine," Doctor Muffin Top reassured the three "But I'd recommend she gets plenty of bed rest for the next few days, and stay away from anything really stressful, like planning a family reunion."
"Granny Smith's not gonna be too happy about that." Apple Bloom said nervously.
"But it has to be done if we want her to get better," Big Macintosh said seriously "Thanks for comin' on such short notice, Doc. We really appreciate it."
"Think nothing of it, I'm always happy to help." Doctor Muffin Top replied.
"I thought your speciality was in baby ponies?" Applejack asked.
"Just because I specialize in baby ponies doesn't mean I don't know anything about taking care of ponies in any other age groups. There are some things that all doctors are required to know, regardless of what they specialize in," Doctor Muffin Top explained "Now, I'd better get back to the hospital before anypony starts wondering why I've been gone. I just hope Nurse Redheart doesn't chew me out for this."
"We'll send you the bill by the end of the week, we promise." Big Macintosh declared.
"Nonsense, this little house call won't cost you anything." Doctor Muffin Top replied, and with that he departed.
"So, who's gonna tell Granny Smith the bad news?" Apple Bloom asked nervously "She's not gonna like it when she finds out."
Big Macintosh pointed a hoof to Applejack "You're the best pony for the job." he told her.
"What?! Why me?" Applejack exclaimed.
"Granny Smith's always been fond of you," Big Macintosh explained "Sure, she loves all of us just the same, but I can tell she likes you the most. Plus, somepony's gonna have to take over plannin' the reunion now that she's bedridden, and I'd say it might as well be you."
"Me?! In charge of an entire family reunion? I couldn't," Applejack insisted "I'm not so good at the whole plannin' thing, Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie have always been the big schemers in my group. I usually just offer my two bits when necessary."
"But you were the one who came up with the whole plan to get Rarity and Sweetie Belle to bond as sisters," Apple Bloom replied "Not just anypony could've done that."
"You were in on it as well, Apple Bloom," Applejack protested "And we all worked together durin' that cider makin' contest."
"Eeyup, but you were also the one who let your friends join in to help us," Big Macintosh told Applejack "And it was your idea to let Babs Seed come down to Ponyville for the Summer Harvest Parade."
"And you all know how well that turned out, I had no idea Babs was bullyin' my little sister," Applejack said glumly "Sure, I helped put things right, but only after Apple Bloom and her friends told me what was goin' on. I should've noticed sooner that was somethin' was wrong."
"Look, you're not perfect, so stop pretendin' that you should be!" Apple Bloom said angrily, stomping a hoof on the ground "You've made some honest mistakes in the past, but when it matters most you've always come up with just the right plan to solve things. Besides, if you were able to come up with a way to earn money after you failed to win any events at the Dodge Junction rodeo, I'd say you're more than capable of plannin' an Apple Family Reunion!"
"Good, then it's settled!" Big Macintosh insisted, poor Applejack wished it wasn't.
Reluctantly, Applejack placed her right forehoof on Granny Smith's bedroom door, and knocked.
"Come in." Granny Smith called, coughing slightly.
Slowly turning the doorknob, Applejack trotted into the room. Granny Smith's bedroom was almost exactly the same as Applejack and Apple Bloom's bedrooms, except her bed had green bedsheets with red apples printed on them, and her bed rested on the side of the room opposite of the window.
"So, what did the doctor tell you?" Granny Smith asked Applejack "Don't try to sugarcoat it, tell it to me straight."
Applejack gulped "Are you sure? I don't think you're gonna like what he recommended."
"Whatever it is, I can handle it. I want to know the truth," Granny Smith demanded "Now tell me."
Applejack froze for a moment, and took a deep breath, before she reluctantly said "Doctor Muffin Top says you should be fine, but it's best if you just stay in bed for a couple of days, and stay away from any kind of plannin' of the reunion."
Applejack expected Granny Smith to be upset, probably even furious. But to her surprise, Granny Smith simply said in a flat tone "Oh, is that all?" to which Applejack reluctantly nodded. Granny Smith sighed "I should've figured. Looks like the family's grown tenfold since the last reunion! I'd have to be busier than a worm in a rotten tomater to get everythin' ready! And I'm a little rustier in the giddy-up since the last time the Apples all got together like this."
Applejack couldn't help but chuckle a bit when Granny Smith briefly rearranged her face to look more her appearance in the prime of her youth. "You may be a tad bit old, Granny, but you're as feisty and full of spark as ever." she said with a smile, before she gasped upon realizing what she'd just said.
"Just because I'm old doesn't mean I can't take care of myself! I've still got plently of energy left in these old bones!" Granny Smith snorted "And I'll be darned if I let this reunion go to waste just because I'm not as fast or energetic as I used to be! There's goin' to be a reunion, one way or another! I'll make sure of that!"
"Actually, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about," Applejack said nervously "Why don't you let me take over puttin' the reunion together this time 'round? Then all you need to worry about is enjoyin' yourself."
"You sure about that, Applejack?" Granny Smith asked "Plannin' a reunion is no easy task, it's probably even harder than Applebuck Season. I should know, I've been in charge of organizin' every major reunion since we first planted roots here in Ponyville. Heck, I've got the quilt to prove it."
"A quilt?" Applejack asked Granny Smith.
"You betcha!" Granny Smith said eagerly "I don't think we're ever gonna finish that doggone thing!"
"You've really been workin' on the same quilt since the first reunion?" Applejack asked.
Granny Smith nodded "Yes indeedy, and I have so many memories of workin' on that quilt. Heck, I remember when we started sewin' it at the first reunion, I couldn't do it properly. Nopony told me you actually had to knot the end of the thread!"
Applejack was surprised to hear such a thing, considering how good Granny Smith was at sewing nowadays. "Guess we all have to begin somewhere," Applejack thought to herself "I remember when I first started learning how to apple buck, I couldn't get it right no matter how hard I tried. That is, until Pa showed me how to do it, and encouraged me to keep on trying."
"That ain't the only memory I made at them reunions," Granny Smith spoke up, as she pulled out a photo album from under her bed and opened it to a page she had bookmarked "I remember how your folks and I learned you had the appetite of a full-grown stallion, when you were just a little foal no less." And in her mind, that memory began to play like an old movie.
One of the most popular treats at any Apple Family Reunion, were the apple fritters. They had a tendency to fly off the plates in a matter of seconds, once they had cooled off that is.
Half Baked Apple was about to learn the hard way, why apple fritters couldn't just be devoured as soon as you had them on your plate. Licking his lips greedily, he bit into one of the fritters he had so generously helped himself to. But in doing so, he felt the hot fritter burn his tongue. "Ooo, hot hot hot!" he exclaimed, as he dashed towards a nearby tub of cider to wash the fritter down his throat.
Meanwhile, Apple Split was hoping to grab an apple fritter for himself, but was surprised to discover that every last fritter had somehow disappeared. "Hey, where did all them apple fritters go?" he asked. As if to answer his question, there came a series of munches followed by a loud belch. Bending down beneath the table, Apple Split saw a foal with the most impressive coat of orange he'd ever seen. Her blonde mane and tail had been loosely styled, and her face was covered in smudges from the apple fritters she'd just eaten. "Who are you, little one?" Apple Split asked the tiny thief.
"I'm Applejack," the foal replied, behind the most adorable pair of green eyes, before it innocently asked "More apple fwitter?"
Granny Smith chuckled "In all my years, I'd never seen anypony eat that many apple fritters in one sitting, and still be hungry for more. And your appetite only got bigger as you grew, and started working."
"That was the one thing about Manehattan life I could never get used to," Applejack commented "At least for the sophisticated ponies like the Oranges. Hope they're still not mad at me for leavin' them to come back and live here."
"Ah shucks, Applejack, they knew you meant no disrespect," Granny Smith commented "City life just wasn't workin' out for you, and in their hearts they knew they couldn't replace your folks. Considerin' the fact that they're comin' to this reunion, I'd say they've more than forgiven you by this point."
"I hope you're right, Granny Smith," Applejack said seriously "You sure have some great memories of these reunions, don'tcha?"
"Indeedy I do," Granny Smith commented "I'm especially lookin' forward to seein' Apple Rose again. You know how Babs is Apple Bloom's favorite cousin, and Braeburn is yours?"
"Now, I wouldn't go calling him my 'favorite' cousin," Applejack replied "He's a fine relative, but I think he fools around a bit too much for his own good. One of these days, I just know he's gonna hurt himself."
"Braeburn just likes to live life to the fullest, he's a free spirit," Granny Smith told Applejack "Kind of like Apple Rose. Didn't seem like a day went by without bein' able to find a smile on her face. We did everythin' at those reunions, includin' the seven legged races, those were Apple Rose's favorites. Unfortunately, we never won a single one."
"Mighty sorry to hear that, Granny," Applejack commented "Maybe this will be the year that you finally break that streak."
"Nah, Apple Rose and I gave on tryin' to win those races years ago," Granny Smith replied "There were other fun things for us to do. I'm really lookin' forward to makin' more memories at this here reunion. Oh, I'm sure everypony is, and I do mean everypony! We got the whole family together this time 'round! Who knows if they'll all be able to make the next one?"
That prompted Applejack to look out the window of Granny Smith's bedroom, and as she did so, two shooting stars passed overhead. Most ponies would've shrugged it off as a random occurance, but to Applejack they held a very powerful emotional connection. They reminded her of her parents, and how much she missed them (though she tried her best to pretend their passing hadn't affected her as badly as it did). "That's true! Busy as everypony's lives are gettin' these days, chances are pretty slim we'll be this lucky next time 'round," she said to Granny Smith "Plus, some ponies might not be able to attend by the time the next reunion comes. This may be the last chance we'll have in a long time to see some old faces. Don't worry, Granny, I'm gonna make sure this is the most memorable reunion we've ever had! I swear to Celestia on that!"
"Alright, young'un, you got yourself a deal. You are in charge." Granny Smith told Applejack.
"Yee-haw!" Applejack cheered "I won't let you down, Granny. You just tell me what the reunion needs, and I'll take care of the rest."
Applejack was as good as her word, the very next day she was up by the time the rooster had crowed. Then, after a quick breakfast, the three Apple siblings set to work on preparing for the reunion. There was a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time.
The first thing that needed to be done, was to harvest all the apples from the tree (Applebuck Season wouldn't start until after the reunion, but it was better to harvest the apples rather than risk them being knocked loose during the reunion). Applejack, Big Macintosh, and even Apple Bloom took turns running through the orchard, bucking the trees with a few good kicks. The apples fell into the buckets placed beneath the trees, and the buckets were then taken into the barn for safe storage. Some of them would be used for cider and other treats, but most of them would be stored away until the reunion was over.
Then, while Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom went to gather some firewood, Applejack went into town to pick up supplies for the reunion's various activities. She stopped at Carousel Boutique to pick up sewing materials for the quilt, and some rolls of fabric to use for the banners. Rarity was more than willing to part with some of her less used fabrics, and even added a bow to one of them as the fabrics were loaded into a wagon.
Applejack then stopped at Sugarcube Corner to gather sugar and flour, which would be needed for the apple fritters. Pinkie Pie also provided Applejack with some honey, and some glitter.
After that, Applejack visited The Golden Oaks Library to pick up a few things required for the seven legged race, and also asked Spike to come over later to help her out with something.
Upon returning to Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack enlisted Rainbow Dash's help to fill up a row of buckets with rain water. Applejack ended up getting caught in the downpour, but she didn't mind, she just shook herself like a dog when the rain had stopped. Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash had forgotten that the cloud she'd borrowed contained more than just rain. She whistled nervously, and pretended not to notice when Applejack was struck by a bolt of lightning.
Finally, after Big Macintosh had gathered all of the firewood, Applejack used Spike to ignite the logs and boil the water inside the cauldrons placed over the firewood. At last, everything was ready.
Applejack stayed up planning late into the night, she was determined to make this reunion memorable, especially since there was a chance it would be Granny Smith's last reunion. "She ain't gonna be around forever, so who knows if she'll make it to the next reunion?" Applejack thought to herself "I've got to make sure she really enjoys this reunion, because I might not get another chance to impress her!"
Just then, Applejack's thoughts were interrupted by the familiar creeking of her bedroom door. A sleepy-eyed Apple Bloom stumbled in. Putting on the best smile she could, Applejack asked "Apple Bloom! What are you doin' up? You're suppose to be in bed."
"Funny, I could say the same thing about you," Apple Bloom said sleepily "For some reason, I can't sleep. What's your story?"
"My gears are turnin' in my head about this here reunion!" Applejack replied, nervously pacing back and forth "It's a lot harder to organize than I thought. I can't stop thinkin' about it!"
"Yeah," Apple Bloom yawned, climbing into Applejack's bed "I can't wait to see my cousin Babs again. We're gonna do so many fun things together, I just know it."
"Fun? That's just the beginnin' of it!" Applejack replied "Granny Smith hoofed me the reins of this reunion, and I'm gonna make the most of it. I owe it to her, and to Ma and Pa, to give one hundred percent. Apple Bloom, I've got so many fun things planned you won't even have a minute's rest!" However, those words had no sooner escaped Applejack's mouth, when she heard a loud snore. Apple Bloom had fallen asleep in Applejack's bed.
Rather than wake her little sister, Applejack simply pulled the covers up to Apple Bloom's head, softly tucking her in. "Trust me, little sis. This reunion I'm puttin' together is gonna be worth the wait," she whispered "I gurantee it."
The days leading up to the reunion passed quickly, both for Applejack, and for Granny Smith. It still frustrated her to no end that she wasn't able to do anything besides stay in bed and rest. But orders were orders, and Granny Smith was not about to defy them. "Besides," she thought "I've been runnin' these here reunions for years, it's time I finally let Applejack take charge. Even if she decides her future lies beyond Sweet Apple Acres, she's gonna have to learn how to organize and plan things on a big scale."
But as the days passed, Granny Smith started to grow worried. She had expected Applejack to be confused and unsure about some things, Granny Smith remembered that the first reunion she'd planned didn't go off without a hitch. But Applejack didn't seem to have any trouble at all, she never once came to ask Granny Smith for advice.
At first, Granny Smith didn't mind, she was proud of the fact that Applejack was taking charge all on her own. "I'm not gonna be around forever, and neither will my advice. Applejack needs to learn how to solve things on her own."
However, as the reunion drew closer and closer, Granny Smith started to hear complaints. Big Macintosh was surprisingly the one who was speaking up most often "Applejack's got a whole bunch of sewin' machines rigged up to help you finish that quilt you've never been able to finish," he complained one day "And she's tryin' to turn the apple fritter makin' into a factory production line."
Another day, Big Macintosh told Granny Smith "Now Applejack's tryin' to add onto the seven legged race. She's moved the finish line, and added a whole bunch of new challenges to turn the race into an obstacle course."
"Oh, come now," Granny Smith replied "It can't be that bad, can it?"
"I wish I was jokin', Granny Smith, but I'm not," Big Macintosh said glumly "The seven legged race now goes all the way through the east orchard, then the participants have to bob for apples, run around the trees fifty times, jump through a bunch of wooden hurdles, and balance plates on their heads while sayin' 'Pappy pony picked a pluck of prickly pluffnuggets' in that order. And the whole thing goes until there's only one pony left standin'!"
"Goodness sakes!" Granny Smith exclaimed "It's like she thinks she's hostin' a game show or somethin'!"
"Which is why you've got to talk some sense into her before it's too late!" Big Macintosh pleaded "I hate to say it, but she's gone completely overboard! If this keeps up, the whole reunion is goin' to be a disaster!"
But Granny Smith didn't do anything. She didn't want to believe that Applejack could lose sight of what made the reunion so important. "Applejack's done some pretty silly things in the past, but she's always seen sense before too long," Granny Smith thought to herself "I'm sure this will all blow over by the time the reunion is upon us."
Unfortunately, the complaints did not stop. In fact, they only increased as the reunion drew closer. Eventually, Big Macintosh wasn't the only one who had something to say about the way Applejack was running things.
The day before the reunion, Apple Bloom came bursting into Granny Smith's bedroom as if she'd just seen a ghost. "Applejack's really gone off the deep end this time!" she exclaimed "I don't know what's gotten into her, but I don't like it! Not one little bit!"
"Now calm down, sugarcube," Granny Smith said in a soothing voice "Just what is it that's got your goat?"
"Applejack's goin' to turn the relaxin' hayride around the farm into 'somethin' just a wee bit more excitin'.' as she puts it!" Apple Bloom complained "And with all the activities she's got planned, I don't think I'm gonna have even a minute to just hang out with Babs! I get that my big sis wants this to be like a super-awesome reunion, but this is just ridiculous!"
"Why would she do that?" Granny Smith asked "The hayride's always meant to be slow and relaxin', so we can have time to unwind after all the fun activites."
"It gets worse," Apple Bloom said nervously "She's plannin' to send the hayride through a different part of the farm."
"Let me guess, the west orchard?" Granny Smith asked reluctantly.
Apple Bloom nodded "Eeyup," she said, borrowing her big brother's catch phrase "She says it'll be just the thing to make this reunion the best reunion we've ever had!"
"What?! I was jokin'! Why, we haven't tended those fields since all the trees went and got filled up with..." Granny Smith gulped "Fruit bats. They're very beautiful, but they're attracted to all kinds of fruit. Goin' through that part of the orchard would be a disaster!"
"Granny Smith, I know the doctor said you need to rest, but I think it's best for everypony if you take over plannin' the reunion from here on," Apple Bloom pleaded "Otherwise, I'm gonna lock myself in my room and not come out until the reunion's over! I feel sorry for cousin Babs, and cousin Braeburn, and all my other cousins, they have no idea what's gonna be in store for them at this reunion."
"What about Big Macintosh?" Granny Smith asked Apple Bloom.
"He's been tryin' to convince Applejack to let him take charge of the reunion, but she won't listen to him," Apple Bloom explained "He's thinkin' of headin' into town tonight and not comin' back til the reunion's over. You're the only one left that stands any chance of savin' this reunion! Please, you've got to take charge, or else nopony's gonna have any fond memories of this reunion!"
Granny Smith was silent for a few moments, as she pondered and pondered about what to do. Doctor Muffin Top had specifically warned her stay away from anything as stressful as planning a family reunion, he had even told her that doing so could make her really sick. But if Applejack truly had lost sight of why the reunion was important, and was obessed with trying to make it the best by changing up everything that had been done in previous reunions, something would need to be done.
At last, Granny Smith came to a conclusion. "Apple Bloom," she said seriously "Tell Applejack that I want to see her, now!"
"Right away, Granny Smith!" Apple Bloom replied, and raced out of Granny Smith's bedroom as quickly as she had entered.
Granny Smith sighed, and mentally prepared herself for what she was about to do. "I can't believe it's come to this," she thought to herself "May Celestia give me strength!"
Applejack was quite surprised when she was informed that Granny Smith wanted to speak to her. She had just finished making sure everything was set for the reunion the next day, HER reunion.
"Wonder what's so important that Granny Smith couldn't wait to tell me about it tonight?" Applejack thought to herself, as she made her way upstairs "In just under 24 hours from now, the Apple family is gonna have a reunion the likes of which it's never had before, and it'll all be thanks to me! If only Ma and Pa were still around to see it."
Applejack didn't need to knock, the door to Granny Smith's bedroom was open, and she happily trotted in without fanfare. "Hey there, Granny Smith, how's it goin'?" Applejack asked "I hope you're gettin' plenty of rest, 'cause tomorrow is the big day!"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Applejack," Granny Smith said seriously "I've been hearin' some 'stories' from your brother and your sister about what you're plannin' to do to the reunion."
"Now, Granny, you know you can't always believe everythin' you hear." Applejack cautioned.
"Then tell me it's not true!" Granny Smith pleaded "Tell me that you're not turnin' the seven legged race into an obstacle course with all these ridiculous extra challenges! Tell me that you haven't traded in the old rockin' chairs for sewin' machines so I can finish that quilt I've never finished! Tell me that you're not tryin' to speed up the apple fritter makin' process! And tell me that you're not turnin' the relaxin' hayride into an excitin' adventure through the west orchard!"
Applejack chuckled "It's all true, Granny Smith. But what's so wrong about changin' things up a bit for the sake of creatin' new memories?" Applejack asked "If that encounter with the Flim Flam brothers taught me anythin', it's that sometimes things have to change. Everythin' I'm doin', is for the sake of creatin' the perfect family reunion! One we'll be talkin' about for years and years to come!"
Granny Smith frowned, everything that Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom had told her was true. "You've completely lost sight of what's important about the reunion, Applejack!" she scolded.
"How have I?! I've created a reunion that's sure to create lastin' memories!" Applejack insisted.
"Not when you're not goin' to give anypony a chance to make them!" Granny Smith said angrily "The whole point of the reunion is for us Apples to get together and spend time with each other, it's not about the activities we do!"
"And yet every memory you mentioned happened as a direct result of one of those activities!" Applejack replied "This could very well be your last reunion, Granny Smith. Don't want you to be able to finally finish that quilt you've been workin' on?"
"I don't think I'm ever gonna finish that quilt, Applejack," Granny Smith said seriously "The intent isn't to finish it, the intent is simply to spend time with my cousins, addin' new patches each time we meet. And when we can no longer do it, other family members can pick up where we left off and add to it. The quilt is never supposed to end."
"Even if that's true, my new seven legged race is way more excitin' than just racin' from the startin' line to the finish line," Applejack protested "Everypony gets a chance to win, or at least finish one part of the race. And that hayride is goin' to be so enjoyable that everypony's goin' to like it! The west orchard is so beautiful, and it'll give everypony a chance to see actual live fruit bats."
"But don't you see the problem?" Granny Smith complained "These are all activities that you've set up, and you're goin' to be in charge of all of them. And because of that, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom are actually thinkin' of not attendin' the reunion. In your determination to create some lastin' memories, especially for yourself, you've lost sight of how they occur, and why we have this reunion. Did you even remember the photo in front of the barn, so we can see how much our family's grown since the last reunion?"
Applejack gulped "No, I completely forgot," then it hit her "And I don't have any room in my schedule to fit it in. Oh, Granny, how could I forget about the most important thing of the entire reunion? I'm such a fool!"
"Oh, it's alright, child," Granny Smith reassured Applejack (who was beginning to cry) "We all make mistakes."
"But here you let me be in charge of creatin' great memories, and the only thing anypony's gonna remember about this reunion... is that it was the worst one we've ever had," Applejack said sadly "I let you down. I just wanted to create a reunion for you to remember, since you might not be around for the next one. You ain't gonna be around forever."
"Don't you worry about that, Applejack," Granny Smith said in a motherly tone of voice "Worry about the present, not the past or the future. Besides, there's still plenty of time to make good memories! You've just got to give everypony a chance to actually make 'em."
"I feel like such a fool, I should've known about that from the start," Applejack said, as she wiped the tears from her eyes "I suppose I can try to change things back to how they were. I'll give Rarity her sewin' machines back, return the extra plates to Twilight and Pinkie Pie, and tell Fluttershy that she doesn't need to worry about tryin' to coax the fruit bats into comin' out. It's just too bad we don't have the original barn anymore." (Applejack was remembering the parasprite infestation from shortly after Twilight had moved to Ponyville, during the parasprite's brief rampage of destruction, they had demolished the barn of Sweet Apple Acres and it had to be rebuilt from scratch).
Granny Smith chuckled "Oh, the original barn's been gone for a long time, Applejack," she said, a grin forming on her face "The original barn was destroyed in a bad storm long before you were ever born. And by the time you were old enough to start applebuckin', the barn had been rebuilt at least five times. One time it was even my fault, I was experimentin' with Zap Apple Jam and got a little too careless. I started a chain reaction that ended up blowin' the barn to bits, and I had to spend weeks covered in bandages."
"You never told me about that, Granny Smith." Applejack realized.
"Oh, there's a lot of memories from my youthful days that I haven't told you about, and some of them I probably never will," Granny Smith replied "But I remember one tradition that started durin' our second family reunion, when we had to rebuild the barn so we could take the family photo in front of it. Ever since that reunion, we've always had a special little dance just before the photo."
"How does it work?" Applejack asked.
Granny Smith smiled "I'll teach it to you as best I can. It goes something like this."
That evening, Applejack was busy writing a letter to Princess Celestia. The letter read as follows:
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned a great lesson about family, which, if you think about it, is really the first group of friends you ever make. Turns out that when you're with folks you care about, you don't have to do much to make that time memorable. Even the simplest of activities can take on a whole lotta meanin'! And you'll find that you'll remember the "who" long after you've forgotten the "what".
Your humble subject,
Applejack
After traveling to the Golden Oaks Library, so Spike could send the letter to Princess Celestia, Applejack returned home to Sweet Apple Acres. As she did so, she looked up at the night sky, and saw two shooting stars pass overhead.
"Ma, Pa, I sure do miss ya," Applejack thought to herself "I just hope that, wherever you are now, you're happy. And that you're watching over me." And after taking a moment to wipe a lone tear from her eye, Applejack trotted up to her bedroom and fell asleep at once. Tomorrow was going to be a wonderful day.
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Hey there. Thanks very much for getting this next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. As usual, wonderful job on the exchanges, emotional content and general wrap-up in all the right places. And good explanation FOR the re-write too. And, for the record, I HAVE read (or, at least skimmed) the first two volumes as well, even if I haven't commented on them. Now, just out of curiosity, are you going to just focus on the episodes you thought were bad, or will you also occasionally do episodes you thought were good, but could have been better too?
And, as for doing re-writes of certain IDW comic stories in the fourth volume, that could be a good idea too. At any rate, I will definitely be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration.
7015094 Well, "Hearthbreakers" will be the subject of a bonus chapter, even though I found it pretty good. Not the best of Season 5 or the show mind you, but still a good episode.
Awesome chapter, You fix a lot of things that people don't like about this episode
Well I have to say, thank you for writing this one. I had issues watching this, like Applejack going back to her stubbornness from "Applebuck Season" and poor Apple Bloom and Babs Seed not getting a chance to talk.
Also, to see this rewrite with AJ's parents being highlighted along with a few nods from previous episodes, makes this an instant add to faves.