Appledashery Vol. Two

by Just Essay

Care Package

After a full afternoon of apple bucking...

Applejack trudged in through the front door to her farmhouse. She paused to catch her breath in the shade, wiping her sweaty brow with a bandanna. For a moment, she lingered before the living room windows, staring out into the green expanse of the land between bordering orchards. The last flash of verdant color waned as the sun gradually set beyond the nearby horizon.

A soft sigh...

...and Applejack proceeded into the kitchen.

She made for the refrigerator, already drumming up ideas for dinner in her head. That's when she noticed that the brown parcel that Rainbow had delivered was still resting—unopened—atop the counter. The mare couldn't help but scowl.

"Guh... Big Mac... honestly..." Ears curled back with a flash of anger. "Just how long are ya gonna fritter around Fluttershy's place today?"

Silence.

The mare groaned, face-hoofing.

"Be nice, Applejack," she muttered. "He does more labor than you ever could. Real gruntwork too."

She grabbed a kitchen knife in her muzzle and used it to slice the packaging open.

"Mrmmmffff..." Spitting the utensil out, she opened the rest of the container with her hooves. "Even still. Would be mighty appropriate if he was here to try on his... horseshoes..." The mare blinked.

Inside the box was a gift basket wrapped in a plastic bag. Applejack saw bars of soap, edible flowers, jars of zap-apple jam, and several colorful coupons.

"Uhhhhhhh..." Her brow furrowed. Freckles scrunched. "...what in tarnation?"

With steady forelimbs, she pulled the basket out and tore the bag off. There was a gold-embossed notecard in the center of the arrangement. Cursive hoofwriting stood out black against the eggshell white surface of the pamphlet. Applejack squinted, reading the words on the card.

"... ... ..." Her ears drooped savagely. There was a whimpering lilt to her voice. "Oh sweet Celestia..."

The mare's blood ran cold. She trotted backwards before stopping against the wall, stunned. Her heart pounded as her muzzle hung open. Applejack could only stare across the empty kitchen in absolute silence.

Comments

[zaponator]

Uh oh now...

[Lamplighter]

Oh my gosh. Filthy rich sent the letter with a gift basket?! How tactless could he possibly be. I mean, I know he was doing it to try to protect them, but come on, a gift basket... Really!

[arancaytar]

8504021

Yeah; he should've at least had the decency to tell them in person.