//------------------------------// // Chapter the Third // Story: A Loving Dog's Owner // by FlutterPal //------------------------------// A Loving Dog's Owner A collab by I love you Dashie, FlutterPal, and Cadance's Paladin Edited by Cadance's Paladin and FlutterPal Chapter Three Applejack arrived back to Sweet Apple Acres from the lake by White Tail Woods. The sun had set and the full moon gave the farm a luminous glow. Applejack went to open the barnyard door and hung her head in sorrow. "I just want a pet," she said with sadness in her voice for the thousandth time. "Everypony else has a pet. Why can't I have one? It's just not fair." The wind started to pick up as teardrops fell from her emerald colored eyes. "It's just not fair." She pushed open the wooden door and pulled the small chain hanging from the lamp on one of the shelves. "What in the hay is that?" Applejack uttered. A brown box almost as tall as herself was sitting in the middle of the barn. "Granny Smith? Big Mac?" No response to her calls. Tired of waiting, she crept up slowly to the box with curiosity coursing through her body. She was about to approach the box when some sort of rustling inside caused it to shake a little. Applejack jumped back a little in surprise. About ten seconds later, the box became motionless again. This time, she went over to the box and peeked inside. Greeting her was a little brown bundle of fur. It was a sweet little puppy that was wagging her tail fiercely. The pup gave a high pitched bark and panted with her tongue hanging out ecstatic upon seeing Applejack. The puppy spun a couple times around, urging Applejack to pick her up. "Oh my gosh! A puppy!" Applejack picked her up from the box and smiled widely. "Aren't you the cutest thing anypony's ever seen?" The puppy attacked her face with a wave of licks. She started giggling uncontrollably, "Stop it! That tickles!" She pulled away from the licking pup and beamed. The puppy had brown fur covering most of her body, but had some white fur running up half her tail, her muzzle, half her legs, and all the way down from her neck to her belly. "I'm glad you like her," a voice called from outside the front of the barn. Applejack turned her head and saw Granny Smith at the open door smiling. "When I saw that pup I knew she was the one for ya. Seemed like she'd be a real good pet to me ." Applejack gasped, "You mean-?" "Yes, Applejack," Granny Smith grinned, "She's part of the Apple family now." Applejack set down the puppy on the floor and galloped to Granny Smith, throwing her hooves around Granny's neck. "Thank you, Granny! Yer the best pony a filly could have!" "Aw Applejack. You got your ol' Granny Smith here tearin' up. You know, I wasn't the only one that got that pup for you there. Your brother helped. Big Mac may have been skeptical on gettin' you a dog, but he loves you too. He never likes to see you upset just as much as I don't." "Really?" Applejack said. "Really," Granny Smith smiled. "Now, let's get this here puppy to the house. I got a water and food bowl all set up for her inside." The puppy barked and chased Applejack all the way to the house. "I've never seen AJ this happy before." Applejack, Granny Smith and the puppy all went inside the house to find Big Mac pouring some of the dog food bought from the pet store into a bowl. "Hey there, ya'll," Big Mac greeted. "I see you found the puppy. I'm just pourin' some food in her dog bowl for the night." AJ bolted towards Big Mac and tackled him. "Ow! Hey Applejack! What'd you do that for?!" Macintosh snapped. The only response he got was a heartwarming nuzzle to his chest. "Thank you big brother," AJ looked up at him with affectionate eyes. "I couldn't have asked fer anything better than this." Big Mac smiled, "Well I couldn't let my lil' sis feel down in the dumps forever now could I?" He gave her a noogie and returned the hug. "Alrighty then," Granny said, "I think it's time to get ya'll to bed. We got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Lots of apple pickin' and lots of seed plantin'." The frantic pup started to chase her own tail. "Aw, can't I play with my new pet a little while longer?" Applejack frowned. "Now Applejack," Granny explained, "We all know you'll be playing with the pup during your chores tomorrow, and I can tolerate that, but I need you to get some sleep so you'll at least get up to do your work." "Fine," Applejack sighed, "Can she at least stay upstairs with me in my bedroom?" "I don't see why not." Granny replied. "Yeehaw!" Applejack cheered. The dog barked in excitement as well. "Come on, little doggy! I'll show you where my bedroom is!" Applejack and her new puppy rushed upstairs. "Now isn't that just a beautiful sight?" Granny Smith asked Big Mac. "Eeyup," Macintosh grinned. "Why don't you go check up on those two and see if they're in bed." "Sure, Granny Smith." Mac walked upstairs and cracked the door to peek inside. Applejack and the pup were sound asleep on Aj's bed. He smiled and shut the door. When the door closed, Applejack opened an eye and peeked over her shoulder. "That was a close one," Applejack smiled at her puppy. "We can't let them know we're awake." The puppy spun around and barked in agreement. "Shhh. We gotta make sure they can't hear us or else they'll make you sleep downstairs." The puppy sat down and cocked his head at Aj in confusion. "Oh, how can I tell you anything when you're this adorable? It's impossible, I tell ya." She rolled the dog over onto her back and started to rub his tummy. The pup's leg shook vigorously and stretched. "You really are the cutest thing in Equestria, aren't ya?" Suddenly, a thought popped into her head. "I almost forgot! What's yer name gonna be?" The pup barked as if she was trying to suggest a name. Applejack laughed, "I don't think 'Ruff' is quite a moniker for a pup as cute as you. How about....Brandy?" The dog moaned in disagreement. "Buckaroo?" The puppy shook her head and scratched behind the ear. "Well shucks! I don't know. Givin' you a name is tougher than it sounds." The puppy stuck her tongue out and started panting. She went across the bed and hopped onto the nightstand. She sat and looked at the portrait of Applejack as a baby, her mother, father, and their dog Winona. "I heard they were some of the kindest, most generous ponies in all of Equestria," Applejack said. "My daddy was named 'Rodeo Champion" of Equestria winning blue ribbons in every event for seven years in a row. Princess Celestia herself gave him the title at his last rodeo competition. My dad met my mom at the marketplace in Ponyville, where they apparently said they had a spark when they first laid eyes on each other." "Granny Smith always told me that on every Apple family reunion, two shooting stars streak across the sky. She says it's them joining the Apple family festivities. Everypony's seen the shooting stars. Even I think I saw them last year. Granny said no matter how far they seem, that they will always be here. That....they're always....with us....in our hearts." Applejack began to sob in her hooves. The pup leaped back onto the bed and started licking Applejack's face, whining for her to stop. Aj smiled and hugged her dog. "I know what I'll name you," Applejack said, "How does Winona sound? That was the dog's name that's in the picture you were just starin' at." The puppy barked, showing satisfaction in the name bestowed upon her. "Then that settles it. From now on, you're Winona of the Apple family!" Winona hopped onto Applejack and wagged his tail uncontrollably. Applejack yawned, "I don't think we should stay up any later. Granny Smith might catch us and give me extra chores tomorrow." She grabbed the covers and threw them over herself. "Goodnight, Winona." Winona curled up next to Applejack and after a few minutes they were both sound asleep. ************************************************************ The tears in AJ's eyes trickled down her cheeks coldly while she sobbed endlessly. A shook took Appljack out of the memory, and story. "Applejack, that was an amazing story," her little sister stated, tears of her own trailing down her cheeks. The orange mare smiled. "Winona couldn't have been any better than another dog instead," Applejack stated. Applebloom looked at her older sister. "Why do things we love like pets die?" AJ chuckled and said, "That's for another time. Now, let's do those chores ah kind've asked you to do an hour ago?" "But!" Applebloom said just before she stopped herself. "Alright, what's first?" "Well, we need some more bits, so lt's sell some apples," replied the older sister. Applebloom looked at her in a wave of confusion. "But we already have enough bits for bills!" "Oh, trust me. This is for something actually living, and very different. Like, somethin' you've been complainin' that you wanted for the last few days?"