Fond Memories
“Applejack”
Someone was calling, someone from outside the quiet reaches of sleep.
“Applejack”
The voice was like the song of a bird far away in the orchard. It brought back memories of Rainbow Dash stealing apples and snoozing on the branches, memories of her being thrown off said branch when the orange farmpony gave the tree a hard buck.
----
“Ouch! Applejack! What was that for!?” a certain cyan mare complained.
“Ya were sleeping in mah tree, Rainbow! That, an’ stealin’ apples.”
“I. Did not. Steal. Any. Apples!” The Pegasus emphasized each word with a stomp of her hoof. Applejack only pointed her own hoof towards the leftovers of consumed apples.
“…Okay maybe a few.” Green eyes met cerise ones with an accusing glare “Okay, Okay! More than a few. I’m sorry, Applejack, but I can’t help it! They’re so delicious.”
“Ah known, Dash, but that doesn’t give ya an excuse to just up an’ steal ‘em. Now, as payment fer the apples ya stole, ya can help me buck the rest o’ them.”
Rainbow Dash muttered something about nap times and work times, but otherwise helped without any complaints.
----
“Applejack!”
“Wha? Huh?”
“Finally, yer awake. Yer more difficult ta wake up than Granny Smith was,” Applebloom complained. Her usual lustrous red mane had greyed with the years passing by. Her coat had done the same, though not quite as much. Wrinkles marred her face, and there was not much light left in her eyes. It was the same for Applejack.
“Ah’m sorry, Applebloom, but Ah’m very tired these days. Not much strength left an’ all, ya know. What did ya want since ya woke me?”
“Brunch is ready. Come on down Applejack.”
“Okay. Jus’… gimme a hoof would ya? Thanks.”
After slowly helping her sister out of bed, Applebloom led her sister down the the kitchen, where Pipsqueak had made some pancakes for their brunch. After a bit of greeting each other for the morning, they all sat down to eat their brunch.
“Them’s some mighty good pancakes, Pipsqueak,” Applebloom complimented her husband, as she chewed on a small piece of one. He was slightly younger than Applebloom was, but that never stopped them. When Applebloom had reached maturity, she had called for a family meeting where she introduced Pipsqueak, and voiced that they intended to marry. They had been in a relationship for five years at that point, and both of them had shown nothing but true love towards each other.
Applejack had smiled widely that day and said: “On behalf of the Apple Family, Ah wish y’all a happy life together.” The look on Pipsqueak’s face had been one of utter surprise. Why that was, Applejack did not know. She only knew that they were good for each other.
“Thanks, Applejack,” he replied. His voice hadn’t changed much. It was still the high-pitched voice better befitting a mare than a stallion. Really, it hadn’t changed at all since his foalhood.
High pitched voice. It reminded her of something—somepony in fact. Most of all, it reminded her of a very special day.
----
A slight breeze made a futile attempt of pulling off her Stetson. The orange hoof on top of it made such an attempt utterly useless.
It was a cloudy day. Rainbow had informed her that the Ponyville weather team had scheduled quite a downpour later that day. She had smiled at that, remembering how the town hadn’t had much rain the past few weeks. Her orchard needed water after all.
Applejack was happily trotting back to the farm with her cart. She had been at the Ponyville market, selling apples, apple fritters, apple pie, and everything else in the “Apple Baking 101: All you ever needed to know about baking with apples, but was afraid to ask” book. Needless to say, she had made a decent profit. Sweet Apple Acre’s apples were incredibly popular in Ponyville, and their reputation was only increasing in the larger cities such as Manehatten and Las Pegasus.
She was nearly to the barn when the sound of voices carried to her on the wind. They were ones that she recognized; one was her brother, the other a close friend.
She unlatched herself from the cart and started towards the source of the voices. As she struggled to avoid making too much noise, she heard snatches of the conversation.
“...gether - so long … -ve you…”
“Now, what in tarnation are they whispering ‘bout?” Applejack muttered to herself as she made her way around the corner of the barn. The sight that met her was, not so much unexpected, but still a surprise.
Her very own brother, Big Macintosh, was on his knees, a small, black box set upon an outstretched hoof. “Fluttershy, will you marry me?” he asked in his ever monotonous voice.
Applejack balanced against the wall of the big red barn, watching quietly, a smile plastered across her muzzle.
Fluttershy’s cheeks had gone a deep crimson, almost matching the deep red of the barn.
Her initial reaction was to make a half-jump backwards and cover her mouth with a hoof, eyes shimmering. Finally she threw her hooves around Big Macintosh, and with a shaky voice said: “Yes!” her voice shockingly loud, possibly even louder than that one day at the Best Young Flyer competition.
A sudden gust of wind took her by surprise and her Stetson tipped up and off her head. She grabbed desperately for it, but the wind carried it away, over to where Fluttershy and Big Mac stood in a tight embrace. Only when the intruding hat tapped Fluttershy’s hoof did they take notice of the orange filly not very far away. Crimson colour penetrated the yellow mare’s coat, but she didn’t break the embrace. Everypony had known about the two of them; pushing away from Macintosh and pretending nothing had happened would do no good. Instead, she just stood there, hugging her husband-to-be.
Applejack walked over to them and picked up her hat and with a smile of genuine happiness. “Congratulations, both of ya. And welcome to the family, ‘Shy.”
----
“Somethin’ wrong, Applejack?” Pipsqueak asked, his eyes filled with concern. “You’ve been staring into the air for the past five minutes. You haven’t even touched your pancakes.” He motioned with a hoof towards the small stack of pancakes in front of her.
“Ah’m alright, Pip, just a lil’ tired is all... That, an’ ah was thinkin’ back to the day I saw Big Macintosh propose ta Fluttershy.” She smiled fondly as that particular image sprang forth in her mind again.
Welcoming one of her best friends into her very own family was a joy not many ponies experienced. “What ‘bout-“ a minor cough interrupted her. “What ‘bout Appleheart? Shouldn’t she be eatin’ breakfast with us?”
“She’s over at Starlight together with Aurora. Or did you forget that your grandfoal, and Starlight’s own son, are being tutored by her?”
“Starlight, eh? Ah had forgotten about that fer a second. Well, that’s what I got fer marrying that Unicorn.” she chuckled. “Ah hope ye are doing well on the other side Graphite, ah know Aurora, Appleheart and ah are doin’ good.”
----
“How ya doin’ Twi? Yew an’ Soarin’ got any more complaints ‘bout loud noises?”
“Applejack!” Twilight hissed, her cheeks turning red immediately. “That’s not something you speak about in public!” She looked around with a pained expression. Luckily, the market was loud and bustling with ponies today, and their hushed conversation went unnoticed.
“But if you must know: yes, we’re doing very well… In fact...” She paused for a second, her blush returning with full force, but also accompanied with a small, happy smile. “I’m pregnant,” she said with a blissful squee.
Applejack could’ve sworn that Celestia had hidden a small sun inside each of Twilight’s eyes. Never before had she seen her unicorn friend that happy. Her eyes shone with pure joy and excitement. Not even when she stood before Celestia and was wed to the light-blue Wonderbolt, had she seen her friend so happy.
Applejack’s eyes widened slightly at this revelation. “You are?” she asked. And not waiting for an answer, she threw her forelegs around Twilight and held her tight. “Congratulations! Ah’m so happy for ya.” She finally let go when she realised that Twilight was having trouble breathing in her bear-hug. “So what’s it gonna be?” she asked, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
“I’m hoping for a unicorn filly. Soarin’s hoping for a filly as well, but a pegasus instead. We’ve already agreed on names. If it’s a unicorn we’ll call her Starlight; if it turns out to be a pegasus, we promised Spitfire to name our daughter after her.” Twilight lifted a hoof and tenderly rubbed her belly. “Ooh, I can’t wait to teach her all of the spells I know! It’s going to be so fun to study with my own daughter!”
“Ya sound mighty sure it’s gonna be a unicorn,” the orange filly said, chuckling.
“I don’t know for sure, but I certainly hope so!” Twilight beamed.
----
“Thanks fer breakfast, Pipsqueak. Dem pancakes ye make, haven’t tasted better since Granny Smith,” Applejack said as she got out of her reverie, and finished her the pancakes in front of her. “Ah don’t know when the surprise stops getting’ ta me.” She let out a light chuckle followed by another small cough. “Applebloom taught ya good. Now, ah would like ta sit outside fer a while.”
“Sure thin’ Big sis”, Applebloom responded, getting up from her own chair to walk outside and join Applejack.
The two, elderly mares sat in the shade of the barn as they watched Penter and Branlog, Applebloom’s two sons, harvest the red fruits that were the family’s namesake. Applejack shifted slightly in her chair as to get more comfortable. While doing so she caught a small glimpse of her little sister’s flank. It seemed so long ago, but she finally had gotten her Cutie Mark; a hammer crossing a plank.
She would never forget the day her sister had finally discovered her true talent, carpentry.
----
“Applebloom! Ah need some help ‘ere!” called the orange mare with the Stetson hat.
“Ah’m commin’ ah’m commin’!” Apple Bloom answered as she rounded the corner of the barn.
It was a sunny day with barely a cloud on the sky. Cloud Chaser and Flitter, the twin captains of the weather team, had done a good job today. Not a single stray cloud on the sky. A slight breeze ran through the orchard trees and ruffled the hair of the fillies.
“Ye ready ta go? We promised Mayor Mare that we’d be ready b’fore noon. Gotta repair the damage that Derpy Hooves caused… Again.”
“Ah gotcha sis! We gonna get town hall fixed up in no time!” the red-maned filly responded with her ever present enthusiasm.
After a little more than half an hour’s trot, they finally reached the townhall. The damage was more than they had expected. Applejack grimaced as she got to work. This would take a lot of time. There was a massive hole in the wall of the town hall. How in the world that wall-eyed pegasus had been able to create such a disaster was beyond the greatest minds of Equestria.
“’Bloom, would ya please get me the hammer?” asked the orange filly after about an hour. “Then ya’ll can get me some more planks.”
“Umm… Big sis?” Apple Bloom asked hesitantly. “Mind if ah try ta do this alone? Ah know ah can, and ah’m old enough ta do things properly.”
A look of confusion crossed Applejack’s face momentarily, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “Sure thin’ ‘Bloom. Just be careful. Ah’ll be gone fer a little while, little filly’s room ya know”
“Ah know.” Apple Bloom grinned “Now… planks, nails, hammer, saw. Everythin’s in check!”
Applejack smiled for herself as she headed off for Twilight’s. It was the nearest place with which she was comfortable to just walk up, knock on the door and ask for use of the bathroom.
It was about fifteen minutes until she had returned, having gotten in a short conversation with Twilight over general nonsense. What she saw when she came back, surprised her to no end. First of all, the hole in the wall, Was Gone. Secondly, her sister sat in a small chair and eyed her hoofy-work. It looked as if there had never been any damage in the first place. And, she had been all alone.
A smile spread across her muzzle as she noticed one last thing. “Apple Bloom!” she called “Come here. Ah got something to show ya.”
Apple Bloom turned around and looked quizzically at her sister. “What is it sis? Somethin’ wrong?”
Applejack only smiled; her cutie mark-obsessed sister had not noticed it yet. “Yer flank,” She said with a smile on her face.
“Mah… flank?” the red-maned filly asked, hope, anxiety and disbelief evident in her voice. After a few moments of staring quizzically into the green orbs that was her sister’s eyes, she turned her head to take a look at her flank; true enough, she had finally earned her cutie mark. A saw and a hammer crossing each other, adorned her previously-blank hindquarters.
Suddenly, Twilight’s idea of celebrating something great seemed like a very good idea. “Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes-“ she kept going for another few moments, jumping around Applejack, before she was eventually stopped by an orange hoof on her withers. She looked into her sister’s eyes again, and this time, only one sound escaped her “Squee.”
----
Everything was slowly going black. She could feel the darkness pulling her. She could hear the faint calls of a familiar voice, but was unable to make out what it said. She was involuntarily drawn back to more of her old memories, not that she minded much.
----
It was a sunny day with a strong breeze and hardly any clouds; it was time for harvest. Applejack was out in the orchard, bucking trees like she always was in the days of harvest, not that it would surprise anypony. What was a surprise, however, was the sudden shout coming from above.
“Watch out!” screamed a mare’s voice, frantic with forewarning.
Before Applejack had even a chance to react, there was a flash of rainbow mane a second before she was knocked to the ground with a heavy hit from above.
“Ugh… mah head… Rainbow, what the buck?” asked a slightly-annoyed farm pony as she dizzily picked herself up.
“Heh, sorry AJ… I just wanted to tell you something.” She paused for a moment, standing up casually as if nothing had happened and leaning against a nearby tree. “It’s umm…”
“What is it Rainbow?” she pressed, tilting her head slightly. “What is it ye wanna tell me?”
“It’s umm… This is so not cool!” Rainbow sighed before looking at her blond-maned friend worriedly. “I’m scared,” she admitted. “Spitfire she... she invited me. I don’t know what to do. It’s not like not knowing how to pull off a new stunt; I can always try again if I fail the first time, but with… this, I’m just scared.”
“Whoa, simmer down sally. Start from the beginnin’, Rainbow, tell me what happened, an’ how.”
The pegasus opened her mouth as if to retort, but decided against it. Instead, she sat down on her haunches with a dull thud, looking at her hooves. “A few days ago, when I was training out in the open field behind Fluttershy’s cottage, I spotted something out the corner of my eye. It was a streak of golden colour. At first I just ignored it, thinking it was probably just a bird.
“But as I continued training, I started to see that golden streak of colour more and more. I still didn’t know who it was, but being watched while training, and by somepony I didn't know, it started to get a little annoying. So mid-stunt I made a sharp turn into a bank of clouds and made for where I had last seen the golden streak.”
Pausing to gather her thoughts, she looked up towards the ripe apples above her, speaking in a tone of near reverence. “I snuck around and behind them. I had only gotten behind them when I jumped out and tackled them.” She smiled and blushed slightly at what had happened. “What I saw next was a pair of amber eyes; it was Spitfire, and our muzzles only an inch apart.” She sighed. “After a few seconds of flushed faces and incoherent stammering, we regained what composure we could and started chatting. Eventually, she told me that she had been watching me for weeks, and that she wanted to hand over an official invitation to the Wonderbolts… The Wonderbolts, Applejack! What if I screw it up? What if I’m not good enough? What if- mmhph mph!” Applejack shoved a hoof in the ranting mare’s mouth.
“Don’t ya worry none, Dash. Tell me, how much have ya trained ta join them?”
“Umm... at least three hours each day for the past… many years? I’m old enough to marry now, and I started when I was still a kid. Hard more than a year or two after I made my first Rainboom.”
“And what does that tell ya Rainbow?” the apple farmer demanded.
“That I uuh… have trained a lot for a very long time?”
“And?”
Rainbow looked at her with confusion.
Applejack sighed and shook her head. “What ah mean, Rainbow, is that ya’ll have trained fer so long, and so much, that ya finally got a Wonderbol’ invitation. Don’t go doubtin’ yer abilities ‘cause yer nervous. Take the challenge like a new stunt! Maybe you’ll make a few mistakes; everypony does. The most important thing is ta not back down. Y’oull be a wonderful Wonderbol’, Rainbow. Believe in yerself!”
The nervous Pegasus stood with a slightly opened mouth, staring into the green depths that were her friend’s eyes. She saw only one thing in those eyes, determination. That determination was everything that the rainbow-coloured pegasus needed. The encouraging words of a friend, words that made her realise the truth; she was an amazing flyer, and if anypony ever had been worthy of being called a Wonderbolt, it was her.
“Thanks AJ!” she said and threw her hooves around her friend. “There’s one more thing though. We were in a kinda awkward position as I told you, and, well. She kinda kissed me as well.”
“Ya mean… Spitfire KISSED ya!?” this time it was Applejack whose jaw dropped.
“Yeah, she did” two spots of crimson broke through her sky-blue coat. “As it turns out, there are no rules against the captain and a member of the troop to be in a relationship… so.”
She let the statement hang in the air, letting a certain orange filly realise the rest. It wasn’t difficult. Spitfire had apparently had an alternative motive to watch Dash train. It wasn’t only because of her skills, but her flank as well it seemed. “Well ah’ll be… Congratulations, Dash! First a Wonderbolt and then a marefriend.” A smirk appeared on her face. “Ah must admit though, I never pecked ya fer one whose door swung tha’ way!”
“My… door? Applejack what’re you talking about?”
A small thud could be heard when an orange hoof met an orange face. “Ah mean, ah never expected ya to be attracted ta mares. Not that there’s anything wrong with it! Just didn’t expect it.” At this, Rainbow smiled. She knew a lot of ponies that didn’t like the idea of two mares of two stallions being together, so being accepted just like that by one of your closest friends, was a thing nopony could help but be happy about.
----
Rainbow became a star Wonderbolt, even better than Spitfire. In the beginning of her career though, the paparazzi hunted them like cat after mouse. A lot of ponies didn’t like the idea of the Wonderbolt captain and a rookie being in a relationship: thought it was unhealthy for the team. A lot of ponies thought that Rainbow Dash was given special treatment, but everypony on the team knew that Dash had earned everything, and after a year and a half, the paparazzi stopped. Ponies had finally come to terms with the fact that Rainbow and Spitfire were together for good, and just to make sure everypony understood, they married shortly thereafter.
At Rainbow’s request, her and Spitfire adopted Scootaloo as well. The filly had been an orphan for as long as anypony could remember, and she had always looked up to Rainbow as a surrogate mother, so it was only fitting.
----
Applejack faintly realised that she was being lifted somewhere. The smell of apple trees disappeared in favour of the smell of old wood and cooking. Shortly after the feeling of something soft beneath and around her was registered in the back of her mind, but she was too deep in her memories she ignored it. For now, she relived the birth of her daughter, Appleheart.
----
The sound of hoofsteps and orders being given permeated through the white hallways of the Ponyville clinic’s birth wing. Only seconds ago, a group of ponies had come in, shouting for help. The group was made up of two fillies and two colts; a large red earth pony, Big Macintosh, and smaller, grey Unicorn, Graphite. There was Macintosh’s baby sister, Apple Bloom, and a pregnant Applejack.
“Fer the love of Celestia, it hurts!” screamed Applejack as another contraction tore through her abdomen.
“Applejack! I’m here, relax. It’s going to be okay!” said Graphite, stroking her hoof with his in a vain attempt to direct her attention towards him rather than the pain shooting through her body.
For several hours, her screams echoed throughout the building, only ceasing every once in a while for her to gain enough breath for yet another painful, wordless scream. All the while, Graphite stood at her site, trying his best to calm down the love of his life, while nurses did their best to help the baby on its way. Applebloom and Big Macintosh stood outside and waited anxiously, cringing every time they heard their sister’s pain flow through the air.
Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity to everypony, the screams stopped and were replaced by the cries of a foal.
Applebloom and Big Macintosh were allowed inside again, and what they saw brought tears to their eyes. Applejack lay on her bed, with Graphite at her side. On her chest lay a small grey unicorn with a blond mane.
“Ain’t she beautiful?” asked a teary Applejack. She looked down at her newborn foal, her eyes filled with pride and joy. She was a mother, something she had dreamed about for so long. “Say hello to little Appleheart,” she whispered as she looked up to her siblings and husband; all of them were smiling.
----
”Applejack?”
Somepony was calling, but whom? She could make out the faint whisper of a voice. The darkness was so tempting; it was so tempting to just let go. She was so weak, too weak to keep going. She wanted nothing more than to just… let go.
”Applejack!”
”Applejack!”
“Huh… what in tarnation is goin’ on?” she asked, finally coming waking up and abandoning the darkness. She could still feel the weakness of her body. She knew the time was near.
“Ya just collapsed outside, sis!” Applebloom responded. “Ah tried asking ya somethin’, but instead of answering, ya tipped over and fell down off yer chair.”
“Oh… ah’m sorry but--“ she was interrupted by a series of hacking coughs. A small puddle of blood to appeared in front of her on the blanket. “Apple Bloom… Ah’m sorry, but ah don’t have much time left in me. Ah fear... ah fear that today may be mah last.”
“No, sis… Ya can’t! Ya can’t just die on me! Not like Macintosh! Ya can’t!” While Applebloom was almost as old as Applejack, she was still her little sister and cared for her deeply. Seeing her admit that death had finally caught up to her, was something she could not bear, not like Big Macintosh, who had just collapsed and never woken up again.
“Applebloom, calm down. Please, get the others. Ah wanna say a proper good bye.” At this, the red-maned mare nodded and trotted out of the room.
Half an hour later, Applebloom returned with Pipsqueak, Penter, Branlock, Appleheart, and Aurora in tow, all of them looking anxious and quite sad. Applebloom had already told them. She smiled sadly at them, giving them her most apologetic look she could possibly muster. There was nothing to be done; her body was giving in, and that, she had to accept.
“Everypony, Ah’m sorry fer telling ya’ll, but this is the end fer me. Mah body is giving up. Just wanna say, thank ya’ll. Ya’ll have made mah life worth living; ya’ll have made me both happy an’ proud.” She paused and fixed her eyes on Appleheart. “Appleheart,” she started. ”Mah daughter. In the drawer of mah night table, lays my last will. Ah want ya to make sure everypony listed on it is present when reading it. Understood?” Appleheart nodded, tears rolling down her muzzle and on to the floor.
Applejack looked to each of them in turn and smiled. She could feel her last breath approaching. But she stood vigilant and still smiled. “Goodbye, ah love y’all.” With that, she closed her eyes and exhaled one last time.
----
She could feel a soft breeze ruffle her mane, all the while Celestia’s yellow sun was caressing her body. Slowly cracking an eye open she saw the multiple different types of miniature stones that made up the dirt she lay on.
Where the hay was she?
Raising her head, she realised that she was in the Ponyville, right outside of Sugarcube Corner, to be exact.
Something here was strange, very strange. She remembered only a little. She remembered, remembering things. Memories, she was digging through memories not long ago.
After a few more minutes of trying to remember, she eventually started looking around, and at herself. Her coat had regained its strong orange colour, like when she had still been young. Her mane and tail weren’t grey anymore either. It hung free, however, free of the band that usually held it together. Looking at it, she realised that the waterfalls of hair she had without the bands, were actually very pretty. She felt a small pang of sadness at having to keep it tied back so she could work. At least she didn’t really have to now. She was also strong again. She could feel her muscles filled with power and eager to do some work again. Applejack looked as if she was young and fit again.
Realisation struck her like a sledgehammer; she was dead.
Pictures of the teary eyes of Applebloom, her own children, Applebloom’s children and her grandchild, flooded her mind. A single tear rolled down Applejack’s muzzle and impacted with the soft dirt beneath her. She was dead; she was alone.
“Applejack!” a group of joyful voices cried from behind her.
With a surprised yelp, she snapped to attention, jumped up and whirled around like Winona chasing her own tail, only much quicker and only half way around herself. What she saw made her jaw drop, and her eyes widen in surprise and joy. “Girls!?”