Applejack walked back to her farm slowly.
Immortal. She was immortal. She was going to live forever.
Most of the trees planted by Granny Smith were still producing. She herself had grafted a new sapling in the east orchard just yesterday. Love, care, a touch of magic, it could live for centuries.
And she'd live to see every last one uprooted. The one constant in her life, the things that would last beyond Applebloom's grandkids, and she'd see the end of them all.
How the hay do you react to that?
Well, honestly. It was the only way she knew how to react.
She didn't mind much outliving family. Granny Smith had a good run, but raising a bunch of foals by her lonesome, working hard on a farm, she'd made sure Big Mac and Applejack understood that she wouldn't be around forever. Applebloom was still a work in progress, by the time she was old enough for that kind of talk it was clear that the farm was in good hooves and Granny had been able to take it easy.
Friends were trickier. She snorted. "Now you know better than to lie to yerself," she said. Friends were easy. She only had five what would break her heart to lose, and they were all in the same boat anyhow. A hundred years from now, she'd still be chasing that prismatic varmint from her barn, screaming that her farm was not a hotel. A smile graced her muzzle at the thought. Last time, it hadn't been her what had chased RD out. Big Mac sure could yell when he wanted to.
Applejack wondered who would be on the farm in a hundred years. Big Mac's grandkids? Applebloom's? What would they think of their immortal aunt? Still going strong and bucking as hard as ever. Would they be intimidated? Would they have some confounded machine doing the hard work for 'em? Would she even matter anymore?
Would her own grandkids be part of the scene?
Applejack closed the gate to her farm behind her. Her farm. It was in her name, ever since she'd come of age. She always knew she'd pass it on. Guess there wasn't a need to, now. Any foal she had wouldn't have an inheritance to get him started in the world. Should she live...without? A dead branch on the family tree? A living dead branch?
Would she even be an Apple after the generations passed her by?
"Hey."
Applejack pulled her brain from her thoughts and actually looked in front of her. "Hey, Big Mac," she said tiredly. "Twilight dropped a doozy on us."
Big Mac looked his sister over. "Eeyup."
Applejack smiled a little. She'd never been good at hiding her mood. "I reckon half the town knows I've had somet'in big on mah mind by now."
"Eeyup."
"You gonna ask me?"
"Nope."
"Even though it's about family?"
"Nope." Big Mac slowly turned his head to look at the orchard.
Applejack followed. The fruit was hanging pretty heavily. "Applebucking day tomorrow."
"Eeyup."
"You up for it?"
Big Mac stared at her for a long moment. "Yup."
Applejack blushed. "I'll be fine, ya big lug. One tree at a time, right?"
Big Mac was silent for a long moment, then smiled broadly. "Eeeeeeyup."
Applejack watched Big Mac wander off. One tree at a time, huh?
She could live with that.
One was Honesty, simple and strong. Time and space spun around her and she was unmoved, a rock no storm could unrest.