Work in the orchard had always brought Applejack joy. Seeing her cherished trees grow and her apples shine never failed to put a smile on her face—even if those smiles have grown a little dull as of late. She never once complained about an honest day's work.
But now, like so many times before, she has to visit the one place that appears dark even in the brightest of days. The place that reminds her of her failure.
Written for Bicyclette's second A Thousand Words contest in the category 'Slice of Life'.
Dramatic reading by StraightToThePointStudio.
Thanks to Equimorto and Jessi for proofreading and the Anons of /fimfic/ for giving feedback.
Chapters (1)
The powah of Appul.
Hard to care when I can't tell if Applejack just outlived the girls due to age, or you murdered them off screan. Going by how A J is acting, I say you murdered them by Monster of the Week, not old age.
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How they died isn't really the point of the story, hence it not dwelling on it, but yes, it is indeed not old age, AJ herself says as much.
Never seen this before. Applejack being the only survivor of the Mane Six. Usually, it's Twilight.
This was a lovely read!
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Best pony is criminally underrepresented in fanfics.
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Thank you!
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Most shorts here are like vignettes or street performances. You're not gonna get much out of them if you're concerned with its bigger picture when the story itself isn't. Because there's no plan beyond writing a specific scene or objective. At the very least, it had that, even if the logic of fruit bearing had to be tied back by magic; one pretty & fairly gripping scene.
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Not dead, trees 🌳
interesting story, although a little confusing
I liked the ending, and I do like that stuff is open to reader interpretation, but also I wish what was going on was a bit more clear.
This is not a hate comment, just a little constructive criticism.
Well written story none the less
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I might make a blog post about a few days from now to elaborate on the idea behind the story as a "death of the author, not necessarily everyone's interpretation" sort of explanation. The very strict wordcount didn't allow for much worldbuilding, but there are a few main topics the fic intended to, if not tackle, at least showcase.
I understand where you're coming from, however, and I see why it could be confusing.
YouĘĽve said so much in so little.
Outstanding work, Reviewfilly. Best of luck in the contest.
I like this. A lot.
Most stories, and many authors, seem to think we are slow children that need to be spoon fed facts in order to understand anything in story. Often that does need to be done because the author tries to do something complicated without the necessary buildup.
In short; a nice story of a respectful, and skilled, author that assumes you are an adult.
The filly has hit the sin bin.
Appul power is too great.
I think the most wonderful part of this all has to be the core theme that, in the end, they are still united to thwart worldly evils. The walkthrough was awfully powerful stuff for the limited time she had to spend, and the payload a very satisfying delivery indeed.
The imagery can’t go unnoticed here, either. While I can’t go without saying I’d have liked to see more of that purpose Applejack was left to fulfill, the trees themselves were more than just cute little set pieces: the way you imbued the trees with their personalities does wonders. It ties in so very well with your mention of Applejack’s care for trees in general. It brings a new light to that side of her; it shows that she can still be a friend to them as she was while they lived.
This is a great AJ fic: it totally speaks to her character.
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To be honest, I just realized this was for a contest
I did not read the description fully before reading the story, guess I am stupid
Now knowing that, ya you were able to cram a lot in such a short time span, well done.
Oh my gosh, the scene with the trees was so clever.
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It's funny, your interpretation of the story is a lot more optimistic than what I had in mind, while regardless staying "compatible" with the story. I'm almost preferring it to my idea now, hah. Thank you very much for reading it, I'm very happy the story left an impact.
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Yup, as the name implies you have to write exactly a thousand words. I competed last year too and wanted to try myself again.
The implications are broad, as is this sad new world. Bravo.
You really did great with this one, filly. The arborist-at-heart in me really respects how you gave each member of the Mane 6 a fitting representation, that felt true to their characters. It conveyed a sense that they're not truly 'dead', that their personalities shine through even in the forms of trees, which in turn makes AJs hope at the end all the more potent.
Great stuff as always.
Over 70 likes with no dislikes, that's gotta be a new academy record!
Lovely idea to let best
backgroundpony bear the burden of outliving those you love. I mostly see this idea realised through Twilight, and while emotional if done right, it's a bit oversaturated.Also loving the fact that despite what happened, they're still friends to some extent, bound by whatever force that commands the elements.
Seems even death couldn't do them part, not completely, anyways.
Twilight will not outlive her friends. Given one of those friends is Rainbow Dash, it pretty much needs to be interpreted as happening this way rather than anything to do with alicornhood.
THEY ALL GOT TURNED INTO TREES!!!
ooh, ominous! i’m guessing something went very wrong for the rest of the Mane Six
aww that is so what Rarity would be as a tree, love her
aww, just like her library! honestly all of these tree-ifications are just perfect, really capturing their characters
oof! the logical conclusion to the Magic of Friendship being its own agent with its own goals, as well as a routine weapon of national defense. and of course Applejack would be the one to solemnly bear the duties of all her friends on her withers, as is fitting for the Element of
LoyaltyHonesty. fantastic work!Ah. She got her wish.
Having Twilight be the center of a mycelial network to allow the members of the grove to stay in contact with one another is a brilliant touch.
Outstanding work in leaving so much unsaid yet apparent through subtext. I can’t help but feel this would fit better in Drama, but that’s highly subjective, and there’s something extra heartbreaking in submitting this one in Slice of Life. This is the new normal for Applejack, to be the one left behind until she can pass the burden and rejoin her friends. Thank you very much for it. It more than earned my judge prize.
Hello! A belated courtesy note for my review of this. A nice, original spin on the "last Bearer alive" setup. Nice ending, too. Pretty easy like.