The Family Mare

by OroKinAu


A Story to Be Told

That night, I sat at the front porch as I looked at the night sky. So peaceful and quiet.

"Mind if I join you?" asked a soft voice. I turned to see Fluttershy next to me.

"Ah wouldn't mind for a friend." I smiled. She gently and carefully sat down into a comfortable position for her.

"Can you believe it has been nine years?" congratulated my friend. "I always knew you would find a special somepony despite your busy schedule."

"Yeah, but sometimes ah wonder, why him?" I wanted to tell Shy the truth about my situation.

"What do you mean? You two are perfect for each other, he would do ANYTHING for you." explained the pegasus.

"Anything?"

"He nearly gave up his promising career so he can work on the farm and spend more time with you." continued Fluttershy.

Trenderhoof almost gave up his fancy life and career to be with me? Why? I'm just an insignificant farmer, nothing special, why would he do such a thing?

"Shy," I began. "do you know how me and Trenderhoof came to be, and why Rarity got in this situation?"

"I thought you know?" Fluttershy looked at me with confusion.

"Well...ah...ah just like bein' told of this story, it soothes me is all." I nervously lied with a big grin.

"Well, remember that festival in Ponyville that Trenderhoof came here to write about?" she happily played along.

I nodded. I do indeed remember that.

"Well, for Trenderhoof it was love at first sight, he came up to you asking for you to go with him to the festival, and you kept saying 'no' since you had so much chores to do. After several tries, he went down on his knees to grovel and beg for you to go with him. Somehow, you pitied him and finally said 'yes'." she related to me.

"And Rarity?"

Fluttershy reluctantly started. "Things went great for Rarity, her career took off when she was hired to be the costume designer for Sapphire Shore's concert tour."

I continued listening.

"Unfortunately, something went wrong, the costume that Sapphire Shores wore while on stage fell apart and Rarity was naturally blamed for causing such a humiliation. Rarity's reputation suffered along with her business, and that's when she started to become 'unhinged'."

"The stress finally got to her?"

"Not just the stress of the job, but the pressure as well." Fluttershy continued. "Anyways, two months later, she finally snapped after she...well...caught you and Trenderhoof..."

"Having sex?" I completed the statement for her to avoid embarrassing Shy.

"Yes...and Rarity felt betrayed since you did promise her that you would stay away from him."

I felt even more guilty. So all the dreams I have been having where indeed memories for the other Applejack. "Thanks for tellin' me this, ah think ah'll go on a nice quiet walk, see ya tomorrow Flutters." I said as I got up off the porch and walked to the back of the farmhouse.

"The same." was the last thing I heard Shy said before she was out of earshot.

As I headed to the field behind the house, I inadvertently passed by Trenderhoof's study where he and my brother were talking.

"I don't know Mac, I'm extremely concerned about your sister." Trenderhoof said. I stopped in my tracks to listen in from outside though the window.

"What do ya mean?"

"I think she feels disgusted to be with me." he sighed.

"What makes you say that?"

"I try to be affectionate with her, she either backs away or shivers, I try to kiss her, same thing, I even tried to be intimate with her lately and all she does is try to avoid it, it's like she has stopped loving me all of the sudden."

"Sounds mighty unusual."

"I don't know what else to do Mac, I managed to get a bucking star named after her for our anniversary! Isn't that enough?" he exclaimed with worry.

"No, there's no need to worry Trend, ah know ya love and care for her a lot, but please calm down for a bit."

"I do, I really do, I whisper in her ear, I tell her that she is beautiful and that I am lucky to be with her, yet she doesn't seem to believe that."

"Ya really mean those thin's?"

"When we got married nine years ago, I promised I would love her, please her, care for her and support her until the day I die. I gave up everything for her. I'm living the simple life because of her, and I would gladly do it all over again if it means falling in love with her."

I started to cry. He really does care for me, all this time I just thought he only liked me because I'm a country mare. But he does care and love me, and he genuinely thinks I am beautiful. "Ah...am...beautiful..." I whisper to myself with a smile. "He really does think ah'm beautiful." I took a peek through the window to see Trenderhoof at his chair, sad, while my brother comforted him.

"How heartwarming isn't it?" said a new voice.

"DISCORD!" I turned to see the draconequus himself next to me.

"So, it finally dawned on you that he actually does care and love you?" he smirked.

I looked back inside with sadness and guilt. "Yes, yes ah do, first stallion ah have seen care for me that much."

"There was actually more."

"Huh?" I looked at him with confusion.

"Yep, there were a lot of stallions who cared and loved you as much as Trenderhoof, but you didn't care about them as much back."

"What are ya talkin' about?"

"AJ...when it comes to a battle between work and love, work always, ALWAYS, wins."

"What?!"

"Remember when Caramel asked you out for drinks to celebrate the end of Winter Wrap-Up?"

I nodded.

"You blew him off because you wanted to quickly get started on planting and do those chores, chores that Mac would have gladly done in half the time."

"That was important!"

"More important than trying to better your life?" he bluntly asked me.

"Uh...uh..."

"You know, there's a reason why Rarity went mad in this alternate future."

"And what's that?" I was skeptical and suspicious of him.

"Because that's what will happen to you if you had continued on the path that you were on!" he started to maniacally laugh.

Suddenly, my head started to hurt and I grew extremely weak. The world began to spin. "What's goin' on." Discord continued laugh as my joints and began to hurt, I fell to the ground in pain, I looked at my legs to see them bruised and sore, my hooves chipped, cracked and worn. "WHAT'S HAPPENING!"

"Your body and mind can only go so far before it breaks down on you."

I felt blood gush out of my nose.

"Not even the drugs can stop the inevitable forever!" laughed Discord.

Bald patches formed on my fur as the amount cuts and bruises continued to increase. My tail completely flared and messy. I grew weaker and more exhausted.

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW! JUST STOP IT!" I yelled with all my might.

Soon, everything went quiet and black.

TO BE CONTINUED...