1st Summer Year 1
1st of 1st Summer
On the night before the first summer month, I dreamt of you Ma. I remember the day when you were on your last legs. Granny smith had to drag me out of the orchards as I kept myself distracted with piles and piles of chores. I did everything I could, just so I wouldn't have to think about you being gone.
Maybe even at the time I had this delusional belief that if I worked real hard and did my best towards what you always wanted me to be, you'd suddenly get all better and be so proud of me.
At the time I didn't want to be stuck in this farm. I didn't want to water crops, buck apples and plow the fields day in day out. I wanted to be anything except a farmer. Like a royal guard saving mares in distress or an adventurer pony restoring magical artifacts into equestria's hooves. I wanted to travel Equestria spreading out my name and going into legend like so many heroes before me.
But then, on your last day I finally came to you sweating from the summer sun, stinking of apples and dirt. You smiled while you cried, tears going down your cheek like a river would be born from them.
You looked so proud. Your last words never leaving me.
Mah lil' apple's turned into a real Big mac
Pa was a great apple farmer. The best in Equestria. He lived for his family and worked his hooves to the bone everyday so I could dream the dreams I had. He lived happily making others have the means to find their happiness. And you wanted me to be just like him. Right, from birth. Even naming me after him. I didn't want to follow in his hoof steps, but it was what you wanted. Your last wish, your final plea, because I was the only pony that could do it.
I was the only pony that could make my family so happy. Just like you were, on your very last day.
Because of that dream, I decided to start a journal. I don't know if you can read this but, I like to think so. I'm thinking from now on I'm going to tell you everything that's been happening on the farm. And if someday some smarty pants unicorn works out how to send letters to heaven. I'll be figuring you'll be wanting to hear news about the farm.
So I'm going to write it all down for you so I don't forget and so that you don't miss a beat.
The apple family is doing fine, Ma. I worked real hard and it was tough at first but I did it somehow. I finished my schoolin' and became the pony that kept the family business going. Who knew that these fancy mathematics could be so useful for farming.
I watered the crops, harvest the apples, tended the fields and sold the good to Filthy Rich who picked up the goods everyday and paid the bits he promised everyday without fail. I even go to market day everyday to get me some good deals on food and seeds and bits.
Recently I've been thinking about expanding the farm and growing other crops. So I plowed some land last winter wrap up and prepared a field. The farm's also got a pig sty now, Applejack joined one of the rodeos a few years back and joined in one of the junior competitions. She won first prize and won us a prized piglet. She's also gotten real good with winona and she's trained the girl to be a real sheep dog.
I'm going to be spending a few days in town hiring some cows and sheep to join the farm. Ain't nothin' to it really. Just go to town hall and do them a few favours. If you do them real good, they visit you one morning and suddenly you got yourself some sheep and cows.
6th of 1st Summer
Today I learned a really good system for tending apples. See, apples sprout every three days and you only need to water them once every two days. So if I water half the trees one day and the other half the next day. I only need to harvest half the apples for two days and get a free day to do other things. Unlike the old way where you gotta water all the plants one day and harvest them all one day.
I don't know how Pa managed to do that all on his own, but I know I'm not even half the stallion he is to manage that.
I just don't have the stamina for it.
Yet.
7th of 1st Summer
Granny Smith just sent out all the letters across Equestria for the Apple reunion. I haven't seen cousin Braeburn in years and it's really been galling me. But this time, I'm not going to lose to him on the midnight cider drinking.
I'm going to show everypony that the Sweet Apple Acres Apples are the best drinkers in Equestria. Just like how Pa was.
8th of 1st Summer
Big news! Ponyville is going to be the host of this year's summer sun celebration.
I hope I get my chores done on time on the day to make it. I always wanted to see Princess Celestia. I hear she's real pretty.
Maybe I could be like Old Papa Smith and kiss her hoof like a real gentlecolt.
10th of 1st Summer
Mayor Mare assigned Sweet Apple Acres for the catering! We have to prepare all the food for the summer banquet after the celebration. I don't know why the cakes couldn't do it but I guess you don't look a gift pony in the mouth. This is a chance to show Equestria how the Apple family does things.
It's a good thing the Apple family reunion is on the way. We're going to need all the Apples we can get our hooves on.
17th of 1st Summer
All the nearby Apple family finally got together. Except for Braeburn, apparently he's gone out with his family to travel or something. Nopony has heard from him since, but everyone's got a pretty good inkling that he'll be fine.
I do hope he's alright. I don't want to lose contact with him before I beat him at cider drinking.
The few days have been hard but the farm has been managing preparing all the apples and the getting all the flour and eggs. I've been running circles around Ponyville for days and for awhile I thought none of the family would come to help out, making all my work pointless.
But I should of known to never doubt an Apple. Family takes care of its own.
We have three days to have enough food to feed a whole town. Usually I'd think that was impossible. But I'm surrounded by good and capable Apples. And when Apples are together, we can't be beat.
20th of 1st Summer
Today was the Summer Sun Celebration. And for the longest day it was had an awful lot of night to it. Right at the crack of supposed dawn, the sun never came. I tended the fields with the family, thinking maybe Celestia had a bit too much to drink at last night's party or something. We joked like that all day while we tended the farm, but worry was clear in our smiling faces.
At around the middle of the morning, Applejack past the farm and had a bunch of mares from around town with her. She didn't have much time to talk seeing as she was in a big hurry. I wouldn't have thought much of it. Maybe just a few girls going off to have some fun around the place, maybe on the way to Fluttershy's or something.
But they were clearly heading towards the Everfree forest.
I headed into town and the place was in a real panic. The place was in martial law, with guards keeping everyone in and anyone outside out. I couldn't get past the first bridge due to the guards keeping me away. I asked them about what was happening but they refused to talk.
I didn't like the look of how uncertain they were.
At around the middle of the afternoon, the sun returned. And Applejack came back home after real night fell, apparently Pinkie Pie was having one of her parties and this one covered the whole town proper. I hope the princess didn't mind.
When AJ explained everything it was too much to handle. It was so epic to hear. It's too much for me to write down right now. But maybe when I've come to accept it properly. I'll be able to tell you the story.
Or maybe I'll ask AJ herself to tell you all about it.
Long story short, Applejack became a real hero. An element of harmony. Somepony that I didn't even dream to be possible. I'm so proud Ma. And I think you would be too.
I need to work real hard. I might not be a hero, but I'll do my best so that whenever my little sister goes off saving the world. She'll always have a place to call home.
24th of 1st Summer
It's so strange how things go back to normal so quickly. Just four whole days ago, the world was being threatened with eternal night. My sister became a defender of Equestria and we got a second princess four days ago... You'd think historic times like that would keep people amazed for longer but it didn't. It just goes to show that Ponyville ponies are made of stern stuff, and Apples aren't going to be any less.
Though, on the subject that's more important. I found some fresh Apples dropped in the middle of the road this morning while I was returning from town. Applejack was harvesting today with some help from her new friend Twilight and Spike, so I know who was to blame for it.
But not only that, in the afternoon, the commissioned apple pastries the Cakes wanted vanished cart and all. I later found out that Applejack took them to town and abandoned them. Because I found the cart in the middle of town and she wasn't there tending it.
Applebloom was in school, Granny smith was napping all day. So it comes to reason that it was Applejack again.
She confessed about it when she came home, so I couldn't be too hard on her. She was all panicked that the pastries were stolen while she was busy trying to nab tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala. I gave her a good talking to about treating our apples right. They're as much family to us all as each other. They help us with our lives and keeps us going.
She seemed to understand it all too well as I told her. She had the family in mind the whole time, wanting the tickets so she could make a good profit selling the apple treats we make at the Gala.
Her heart was in the right place. She's grown up to be a good little pony.
Suffice to say I took the cart and gave the Cakes their delivery, caught them on a busy lunch rush and they were just running out of Apples pastries. I got a nice little bonus for my good timing.