//------------------------------// // They Live...: // Story: A Dream Met... // by Jon bucker //------------------------------// I was just about to fall asleep when I heard a noise from down stairs; I sat up in my bed. I heard a door open and then hoof steps down the hallway, who would be up this late? Curiosity got the best of me so I got out of bed, I didn’t bother grabbing the element; I just put on my shoes and walked down the stairs quietly. I just saw the tip of a tail down at the end of the hall but I couldn’t make out what color it was, it was too dark. I walked down the hallway softly so wouldn’t wake anyone up. When I made it to the top of the staircase the front door had just shut. Well I knew it wasn’t granny because she can’t move that fast, but I still didn’t know who. I eliminated big mac as a culprit because he would have made bigger hoof steps down the hall, so that only left applejack and applebloom. I went down the stairs and opened the door slowly and shut it behind me, then I looked out to the darkened farm; it was a bit brighter than last night, there were no clouds so the moonlight light had free rang. I noticed the doors to the apple cellar were open and there was light coming from out of it. I started walking towards it when I heard hoof steps coming out from the cellar; I hid behind some nearby hay bales to prevent myself from being seen and watched. I wasn’t sure what this was all about but I didn’t want be found encase it was something important, I wouldn’t want to make it awkward or something, or make it like whoever it is felt like they had to tell me, if it was I would just leave. A golden manned, orange furred pony came out of the cellar with a lantern and a beautiful looking apple; it was probably the best one out of the stack, but what and where is applejack going with an apple in the middle of the night? She put the apple under her hat and closed the cellar doors, and then started walking off past the barn. When the coast was clear I got up out from behind the hay bales and followed behind her quietly. She started to walk down a dark path, but it wasn’t really a normal path, It wasn’t even dirt, it was just slightly worn grass along a slight path of apple trees. Vary discreet. I was a bit hesitant to follow down the path but I wasn’t about to stop there so I continued anyway. There was no turning back for more than one reason, if I went back now without somepony guiding me or a light I would probably get lost, not to mention why she was out here. I followed her for what felt like thirty or so minutes, in a deep part of the ordered where the apple trees were the thickest. She started to slow down when she entered a small grassy clearing from what I could make out, I got closer and slowed down and stopped behind an apple tree and watched. The lantern applejack was carrying lit up two old tombstones, she sat the lantern down and took off her hat and pulled out the apple and placed it in front of the two gravestones and sat down, placing her hat on the one of the gravestones. The second I saw the gravestones I regretted coming and a terrible feeling came over me. I had a good idea on who they belonged to, and I didn’t like it. I knew she would want to be alone so I decided to risk getting lost rather than interrupt or upset her. I was just about to leave when I stepped on a stick, my heart skipped a beat; it made the loudest cracking sound ever at the worst of time. Applejack turned. “Can’t you tell when a pony wants ta be LEFT ALONE!” she snarled at me, but she had the complete right. I could tell that she was hurting and me being there was just making it worse, but I did as she asked. “Sorry applejack I didn’t know, I was just leaving...” I said back in a sad and regretful voice. I turned and started to walk away; I felt so guilty and hated myself for it. “Wait...!” she called. “Ah’m sorry... don’t go.” I stopped and turned around slowly and looked at her, she smiled weakly and patted the ground on her left and turned back to the gravestones. I took a deep breath and walked slowly towards her and sat down on my knees. I looked at the gravestones and felt an unsettling feeling in my heart. I didn’t look at her, I just kept my eyes on the gravestones. I really didn’t want to, but I wanted to start with a question. “These your parents...” I asked I caught her nodding out of the corner of my eye. “Yeah...” she said quietly and continued. “Ma...? Pa...? This here’s Jonathan... he's stayin with us for a while. and don’t worry Pa he’s treat’n me and bloom just fine...” she said with a hopeless smile, like she was praying for their words that she knew would never come. I could hear the pain in just the way she talked and it only made me feel it more, she stopped for a second but I didn’t speak I just listened. I wanted her to finish saying what she had to say and what she was feeling before I started speaking. Her head dropped. “It’s hard sometimes not hearin a response...” she said softly She slowed down to steady herself and her breathing, I could tell that this was extremely hard for her so I stayed quiet and gave her the time she needed. She started talking and going back about her memories. She sniffled a couple of times and continued. “Ah come here every now and then to visit them. Sometimes ah talk to them, and sometimes ah just cry when ah’ve had a bad day and need some comfort... Ah was really close to them and loved them with all my heart, they were the best of parents anypony could have ever asked for... Ah can remember the day my ma passed... She started dying after givin birth ta bloom, when pa told me that she didn’t have much time left he took me to see her...” Applejack took another breath to stop herself from crying. “Seeing her in that condition destroyed me, ah loved her so much and ta seein her like that hurt me so much... as ah was crying on her bed side she lifted my head and wiped the tears from my eyes... and with her finale breaths she told me on how much she loved me, and she was proud of me. Fer being the best daughter a pony could ever asked for... then she gave me her hat... and went to heaven...” she said I felt my eyes water I robbed them to prevent tears and continued to listen, applejack wasn’t faring any better her voice started cracking with a sniffle as she spoke. “A-Ah remember... the day my pa died... he got very ill with some unknown virus with no cure. Me and big mac tried are best ta help him but nothing was workin, ah never felt that helpless before in my life. Seeing him just as bad as ma and ain't their being nothing ah could do take help them. But knew we were gonna lose him to. Ah can still remember the la- the last thing he told to me... he said he loved me, and to look out for bloom and keep her safe and happy... then he gave me his hat and told me to give it to someone who truly earned it and deserves to wear it. Then he went to be with ma..." "Now I watch over the farm and applebloom, makein sure she lives happily. She reminds me so much of ma, she has her eyes... and ah never want ta see them anything other than happy and filled with joy...” She started to lose herself. “B... bout the hardest thing that’s ever happened to me wasn’t even that... one day after a family reunion bloom asked me where our parents were... so I showed her...” Tears started flowing down her face uncontrollably. “S... She cried herself ta sleep fer weeks, it hurt me so bad seein her like that, but ah had caused it... it tore me up on the inside seein those eyes that sad, and there was nothing ah could have done except bare it...” She stopped talking and started crying and sobbing with no end in her hooves, a tear ran down my cheek as well. Seeing her like that was bad enough I couldn't imagine bloom like that... but my heart-felt for her in more ways than one. I looked to her. “I think I know what you’re feeling.” I said softly. She pulled her face out of her hooves. “NO! You don’t, how could ya possibly know what I’m FEELING!?” Applejack asked snapping at me in an angered tone, but I didn’t blame her. I looked away from her and to the gravestones; I took a deep breath and started to explain. “There was a time, earlier this summer, when I was home alone for ten whole days by myself. I do have a brother and sister but my sister was out at her friend’s house and my brother was house sitting and on top he's never home. and my parents had left out of town for a wedding across the country. so it was just me. I decided to treat my mom and dad being gone as if they had died... I thought it would be great... I could do whatever I wanted. The first day was awesome, I did just that. The second day I did less and third and for the rest I did nothing. The realization of not having my parents hit me in my heart. I got so wrapped up in pretending that I felt like I had actually lost them... the pain and the loneliness and the emptiness I experienced was destroying me... it drove me insane. Some night’s id even cry myself to sleep cause the pain was too much for me to bare. It was like that every day, but each day it got worse and worse... I couldn’t even properly morn because they weren’t even dead, and I knew that... But..." my eyes started getting watery. “If they had actually died then that would have been my everyday life, and just the thought and feeling hurt me, it hurt me so much... When they... came back it was like a miracle, like seeing the dead walk again. I expected all the things I felt to leave me but...” Tears began to flow out of my eyes and down my face, but I let them I didn’t have the strength to l hold them back any longer. “t-they didn’t... all the pain I felt still lives with me to this very day... because I know... somehow I know, that their time is coming soon and theres nothing I can do but just, sit idly by and wait for It to happen... I don’t want to feel that empty and alone ever again... and scares me because it’s going to happen for real this time... t-that’s one of the reasons why I work myself to the bone for my mom... I-I want her last days to happy and blessed... but it’s so hard knowing that it’s coming so close, and it scares me because I don’t want to feel like that very again, but there’s nothing I can do...” I turned to applejack whose tears were still flowing. “So no applejack, I don’t know entirely what you’re feeling... but I scared I will soon...” I said sobbing. She smiled weakly and hugged me, I returned they embrace and we both started to cry. She cried in my arms and I cried in her hooves, liquid pride flowed from both of our eyes and down each other’s back’s. We sat there for a while just crying together under the glow of the lantern and moonlight. In a way, It was comforting to have someone, or in this case somepony, to cry with who knew what I was feeling. Now that I really look at it, me and applejack aren’t that different when it comes to our families, but its more the opposite. She doesn’t have parents but she has a family that loves. I have parents but a family that hates. Although I do love my parents, I can’t really decide which one is worse. After awhile we just sat there not really crying anymore, just comforting one another. And holding each other close helped with the pain. When we both settled down enough we pulled out of the embrace and smiled at one another. We both stood up of the ground and wiped the tears from our eyes. “Thank ya jonathan... its nice have in someone ta go to who understands what Ah’m feelin at times like this... thanks for being a good friend.” applejack said smiling proudly, but her voice was still a bit shaky. It was nice hearing applejack call me friend, it made me proud to call her mine as well. “No problem applejack, I'll always be there... thank you as well.” I said smiling back. I kneeled down and we hugged one last time. Applejack picked her hat up off the gravestone, and dusted it off and placed it on her head. “Well we should probably get back to the house now... it’s late.” she said “Yeah we should.” I agreed She picked up the lantern and looked at the gravestones and smiled warmly, and then she turned and started to walk. I started to follow her but there was one thing I wanted to do before we left. “Wait a sec...” I said. She stopped and turned to me a bit confused. I turned and started walking along the ridge of the clearing and found a dissent looking apple , to which I plucked it from the tree. I walked back over in front of the gravestones; kneeling low and placed it gently next to the one that applejack had placed. I put my arm on my knee and smiled I stayed there for a couple seconds more, to properly pay respects, then I got up and looked to applejack who was silent but smiling warmly, I smiled warmly back and walked up beside her. Then I thought of something that I thought should be shared. “In the midst of all this I remembered a poem that would be good to end all this on... would you like to hear it?” I asked She nodded. “Sure...” I took a deep breath and let the poem out that came from my heart in a soft tone. “The ones you love, truly love will never die. You keep them with you, and like this that are alive...” I’m not one for poems but that one I have always kept in my mind and heart to keep me strong, it’s always brought comfort to me. Applejack wiped another tear from her eye as I finished. “That was beautiful Jon... thank ya.” she said. I nodded to her; I knew just by the way she was looking at me that she knew exactly what the poem meant, and that made me happy. And then we started to walk back to the house. We didn’t talk much on the way back; everything had already been said, but the smiles we sheared stayed with us for all the while. Walking back to the house after what had happened felt peaceful, the crickets chirping, the smooth soft breeze, it was perfect... like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders... I wasn’t going through this alone anymore. Some was there helpings carry the load and that brought a lot of comfort and peace to me, as well as applejack. I had never talked about that with anyone before because I knew the people I do know wouldn’t understand, so it did me good talking about it with someone who did know what I was feeling, I really thanked applejack for that.There was so much more to my story though and the ten days but the rest didn’t really matter at the moment so I didn’t bring them up. As we were walking, applejack mentioned that there was a tree on top of a hill that’s one of the oldest trees on the farm and its where her parents first met through certain circumstances. But that was the only conversation that was had. When we got back in house we both got a drink from the kitchen, from all the crying we did our throats were extremely dry. Then went upstairs and said are goodnight’s and went to our beds, the second I laid down I fall asleep instantly. That was the best sleep I'd had in a very long time...