Let Me Tell You a Story...
"Oh great B'zekre, what a mess that turned out to be!" The orange mare threw the door to her apartment open, stormed into the living room, and collapsed into her rocking chair. "I can't believe Buttons and Bow Tie would just.... urrgghhh!" Putting her hoof to her temples, she messaged her forehead to make the pain go away.
"Lightning, could you please bring me a cider from the fridge? I really need one right now." When no answer from her husband was forthcoming, AJ simply shook her head. "Ohhhh, that's right... Queen Majesty has you out on maneuvers this week, scouting out what the trolls are doing in the dark lands." The mare said aloud, talking to no one in particular in her current anger. "Guess I'll have to get up off my fat flank, an go get the juice myself!"
As she trotted through the hallway, Applejack passed several photos and old mementos lining the wall. On the top shelf sat a plaque reading "Manehatten fashion competition- second place.", along with a wrinkled and yellow newspaper clipping of the mare dressed as she was now . On the shelf below that sat a pair of old granny glasses, and a faded photograph of several smiling ponies at a picnic, white the message; "Thanks for all the wonderful parties, cousin- yours, Apple Spice" written on it. And on the bottom shelf sat a painted portrait of a beautiful mare in an saloon girl's dress, surrounded on all sides by cowpony stallions. She barely gave them a glance as she walked into the kitchen.
"Ahhh, here we go!" She smiled, pulling the decanter out of the fridge. "Here's the magic elixir that sets free the soul." AJ said aloud, quoting a coltfriend from a long time ago. "Huh, guess I shoulda been a poet in one of my lifetimes." Pouring a shot glass, she quickly downed the yellow liquid, and suddenly felt all warm inside. "Now that's just what the doctor ordered!"
With a sigh, she wandered back though the hallway again, pausing when she saw her own refection in the vanity hanging on the wall.
"Oy, I look like such a mess." The mare declared, blowing a loose strand of her still coiffed mane out of her face. Staring at herself for a moment, she reached up with her hooves to remove the jewel clip from her mane, and rustled her hair around so it looked tangled and dirty.
"Haow's this, Boah Tie? Naow will ya'll listen to the hahmony bearhrah?" AJ belted out, trying poorly to match her old accent in English. "Ah reckon ah'm moah the mare everypony is expectin naow!" For an instant, AJ thought she saw the reflection of another time staring back at her from the mirror.
"Good grief, I sound just like Truly!" She rasped out, coughing and gagging at trying to imitate a younger mare. After a few seconds, she reached up and brushed her mane back into place. Staring back into the mirror, the mare saw the same face she had gazed upon for the past millennium; ever young and ever beautiful. There were times she had wished that magical accident had never happened to her- but then she never would have had her loving family, now would she? Sliding the jeweled hair clip back into her mane, Applejack did the pouty thing with her lower lip that she had copied from Rarity.
"I do say, my good ponies! It would be so dreadfully delightful if you'd consider my idea for the Parade of Costumes my dear Buttons!" She elegantly trotted away from the mirror, her hips going 'squick-squeak squick-squeak' in the dress as she walked. Turning back, she gave a teasing look over her shoulder. "Surely anything I could come up with would be simply divine compared to what this cherry-loving ruffian could concoct!"
"Well, that's at least more me than that hillbilly- 'thang' everybody expects." AJ stared at herself again, and smiled. "I wonder what Rarity and the others would think of me now..."
The mare sat back down her her chair again and started to rock, just as the door in front of her opened up.
"Mama? Mama, you home?" The little filly who looked like a small version of her mother trotted in. "Oh hi, mama! There you are!"
"Hello, my little apple blossom." Mother greeted daughter, picking her up and nuzzling the filly tenderly. "Didn't expect you home from school so early. Where's your brother?"
"Apple Delight went over to spend the the night at Rocket's, remember?" The filly laughed, sitting down in the seat next to the rocker. "How did the Parade of Costumes thing go? Bow Tie and Buttons like your ideas?"
"Let's just say some... 'disagreements' let to things not going my way. "AJ replied with a nervous laugh. "I guess the ponies of Dream Castle still expect the legendary Applejack instead of little old me."
"Mama! Did you argue with Cherries Jubilee again?" The little earth filly sighed. "Daddy and I wish you two would just try ta get along!"
"Now you sound like the parent, sugar cube!" Her mother said with a soft laugh. "Sometimes wonder if you're more mature than I am, too."
The little filly just sat the for a moment, before replying. "Mama, an I ask you something?"
"Sure apple blossom." The mother replied, sitting back in the rocker. "What is it?"
"Can you tell me about your life?" She asked. "I mean, your whole life? Going all the way backwards to Equestria?"
"Well now, that's-that's quite a tall order there, sugar cube." The mother replied nervously. "Please do remember I've lived over a thousand years, thanks to that stupid anti-aging magic that Twilight wasn't able to get off me after Tambelon. You could be listening for quite awhile!"
"But miss Cheerilee assigned us a paper on our family history!" Baby Applejack pleaded. "Please, mama?"
"So Cheerilee's doing her 'family appreciation day' thing again, huh?" Old Applejack sighed, sitting back into the rocker. "All right, apple blossom. Let me tell you a little story..."