“So, Ma, how did you and Mom meet?”
Applejack opened her eyes and looked over at the filly snuggled close to her stomach. She had been drifting away into a gentle sleep, lulled by the warmth of the hanging sun, and it seemed like she wasn’t the only one. Next to her, Rainbow lay sprawled on her side with her wings covering two little colts, one a pegasus and the other an earth pony. Applejack smiled and looked up at the looming, old tree that provided them with shade.
It was sturdy, and had been for as long as Applejack remembered. She looked back down at her foal who gazed back at her with shiny, pink eyes. “What, I haven’t told ya before?”
She shook her head. Her blue and blonde mane fell in front of her face, so the cream-coated filly blew it away. “Nah, not really, but I’d like to know, if that’s okay.”
Applejack’s heart warmed for her child. She didn’t want to wake the others, but she figured that if her oldest foal didn’t know, then none of them did. Reaching across to Rainbow, who was well within hoof’s reach, she prodded the mare.
As graceful as always, Rainbow snored herself awake with a snort. “Mmm, just crawl in bed with your Ma and I…” she mumbled. Okay, maybe she snored herself half awake. “Just a nightmare…”
Applejack rolled her eyes, although the smile on her face contradicted what her gaze was saying. “Naw, Dashie, it’s me,” she whispered. “C’mon, I wanna tell a story.”
That seemed to wake Rainbow up a bit more. “Oh, AJ,” she responded lowly. “What’s up?”
“Gonna tell the kids how we met.”
“Which time?”
“The first time. And maybe some more.”
Rainbow Dash nodded and gently nudged the colts awake. “Hey, wake up. Ma wants to tell y’all a story.”
As the colts yawned awake, Applejack grinned. “Y’all?”
Rainbow Dash shook her head, now more alert. She ran a hoof through her short mane. “Look, I’ve been with you for, like, ten years. I’m gonna say y’all sometimes, okay?”
The foals giggled as they congregated in front of the mares. Applejack looked at Rainbow, who smiled lovingly and egged her on. Returning the smile, Applejack licked her lips and prepared to speak.
“Not quite so sure where to start, but… Well, there's gotta be somethin' to say right? Somethin' interesting? I dunno. I'll do my best. But these are all the moments I remember from when me and your Mom were first gettin' together. And everythin' else after that. Maybe even some stuff I can't really remember.
“Anyway, this is how I met yer mother.”