//------------------------------// // Rain // Story: Our Little Clementine // by MaxBeezy //------------------------------// Rainy days. Clementine loves rainy days. Every time a particularly big storm would hit Ponyville, either through happenstance, or intentionally made by the Pegasi of Cloudsdale, Clementine would always stay inside the house to watch the water fall from the sky, and into the soil below, no doubt creating blades of grass, or beautiful flowers. This is not by choice, however, as Applejack is the one who wants Clementine and Matt inside the house during every single storm. Light rains are fine, but whenever there’s a bad looking downpour, Applejack would demand the two loves of her life to stay indoors. Clementine didn’t mind; even as she was approaching the age of thirteen, the official start of her teenage years, she still enjoyed the rainy days. She took to call them “No School Days,” as she would stay home in a storm even when it was a school day. Powerful rain and winds were a rare occurrence in Ponyville, so the school didn’t mind if Clementine missed a day or two; not catching on that she would be only absent during a particularly rainy day. The one who did catch on was Matt, who didn’t question Applejack’s demands when Clementine was a filly, understandably thinking that she was afraid that Clementine would catch a cold, or get hurt by slipping in mud or down a hill. Now, even with Clementine’s birthday just weeks away, Applejack would still panic at the sight of heavy rains. For Matt, Applejack’s worries didn’t start with Clementine. He remembers when he slept over at her house, when he tried to return her hat after unintentionally wearing it during an afternoon swim at the lake. Upon telling Applejack about the coming storm, a look of worry befell upon her, and she forcefully pulled Matt inside the house by the belt buckle. It’s not that he didn’t enjoy the night he spent at her house; he got a nice dinner, saw some cute pictures of her and Big Mac as a foals, and his romantic feelings for her became much apparent when he embraced her during the night as she was having a nightmare. However, that worried expression replayed in his mind over and over. He remembers asking her for an umbrella to take with him on his way home, and she still refused to let him go. It’s a cloudy Saturday afternoon, and Clementine is watching TV with her parents. Wanting another sample of programming from her father’s world, she has become addicted to the show “Sailor Moon,” where a team of school girls battle an ancient evil with incredibly silly plans every episode. Clementine loves the campiness of the show, and marathons the show when she can, but only in small increments, as Matt and Applejack aren’t interested in sitting through all two hundred episodes in a single sitting. Outside, rain begins to fall, catching Applejack’s eye immediately. She goes to the window, seeing that the light drizzle is becoming heavier by the minutes. “Another one.” she whispers to herself, before turning to Clementine and Matt. “Looks like we’re staying for the day.” “Storm outside?” Matt asks. “Yeah. Guess the Pegasi are preparing for the flower season. Gonna be a big one, from the looks of things. Best stay indoors.” “That’s okay.” Clementine smiles, “Ah didn’t have any plans today.” As if on cue, a mailbox in the dining room shakes and glows for a few seconds, with the metal flag raising up quickly. A recent invention from Princess Twilight Sparkle, she has found a way to deliver magical letters to non-magical folk, with the box used to send and receive letters. Matt finds the device useful, as phones don’t exist in this world, and has taken to calling the system “texting.” Only a few have been made so far, and were given to their closest friends. Matt goes to the box, opening it up to find a scroll. He unravels it, looking upon the contents. “It’s from Slip Wing.” Matt says. Immediately, Clementine pauses the show, and runs to her father, snatching the letter away with her teeth. Matt chuckles at her quickness, with her feelings for the Pegasus not lost on him. “What does he want?” Clementine whispers to herself, a trait she received from her mother. “Oh mah gosh! He’s got the new Mare Do Well video game! He wants me ta come over and play!” Clementine turns to her Mom and Dad with wide eyed enthusiasm. “Mom! Dad! Can ah go?! Ah really wanna play!” “Sorry, Clem.” Applejack shakes her head, “But y’all know the rules. No going outside durin’ a storm.” “But he’s not that far away! Ah can get there in a couple minutes at top speed!” “I’m sure ya could, sugarcube. But ya can slip in the mud, and maybe hurt yerself in the process.” “Ah could get an umbrella! I’ll be super careful, ah swear!” “Clementine. No. Ah know yer excited, but ya can’t go ta Slip’s today.” “Oh, come on, Mom! I’m almost thirteen! Dad can take me!” “No, definitely not.” Applejack gets a tad more defensive at the thought of both Clementine AND Matt leaving the house. “That’s out of the question.” “It’s not even raining that hard!” Clementine persists, “If we leave now…” “Ah said NO!” Applejack snaps hard. Clementine’s ears go down fast, stepping back in shock at her Mother’s attitude. Applejack's eyes go somber when she sees her daughter hang her head down with watering eyes. “Clem, ah…” “It’s okay.” Clementine says softly, “Yer right. I’ll…go write him back.” Clementine goes to her room, silently shutting the door. Matt, who was watching the exchange without his own input, walks over to Applejack, as her somber expression becomes more distressed; shutting her eyes to prevent tears from exiting. “AJ…” Matt says, placing a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly, she walks away, going to her bedroom. Matt, shocked, follows her just feet behind, giving her space. Entering their room, he finds her sitting on the bed, with only the cloudy sky proving a small source of light for the room. The rain has gotten heavier, and the sounds of the water hitting the roof and sliding down the windows practically echo and cut through the silence. Matt sits down close to her; her warm and soft coat brushing against his shoulder. He lightly bumps her playfully in an attempt to get her to look at him. The tactic succeeds, but not in the way he hoped. Instead of a smile, her look of sadness remains. “Hey, you.” Matt smiles. “What’s the matter?” “Ah shouldn’t have snapped like that. Ah feel terrible. I’m a bad Mom, aren’t I?” “No, of course not. Don’t worry about it. You want her inside the house. I understand your frustration.” “But, she’s right. She’s more than old enough to go outside, rain or not. Ah just…ah can’t risk it. Ah don’t want her to get hurt…or worse.” Applejack looks down at the floor. “I’m too protective. Too paranoid. Ah don’t want her to end up like…” she trails off, as if refusing to complete that thought. “Like what?” Matt gets curious. “Applejack…” he wraps and arm around her, pulling her in close and pressing her against him. Her lips quiver at the thoughts that have entered her mind. Matt has become worried now, letting her rest her head on his chest in a moment of instinct. “What’s wrong?” “Matt…how come ya never asked me about mah parents?” The question hits him hard; he wasn’t expecting that. Even so, hearing that gives him a good idea where this was heading, but he does not vocalize his assumptions. “I was waiting until you were ready.” He replies honestly. “The first time I asked, you…well…you looked hurt. I didn’t want to pry.” “We promised ta always be honest with each other. Ah guess ah wasn’t fulfilling mah end of the bargain.” “No, it’s okay.” He rubs her shoulder. “It’s not like me to push you. If you weren’t ready, you weren’t ready.” “Ah…ah think I’m ready now.” she whispers. Gently, she puts a foreleg over his shoulder, holding him in an embrace. Many years ago, when Applejack was just a small filly, she and her family spent two months celebrating the birth of young Applebloom. The joy on their faces was indescribable during that time, with the newest inclusion in the Apple family being a bundle of love and happiness. Applejack loved her family with all of her heart, and dreamt of nothing more than following the family business, and becoming the best farmpony that all of Equestria had ever seen. Her Mother was a kind mare. A simple but wondrous beauty, who tied the bottom of her mane and tail with two small red bands to keep it from flowing in the wind. All the colts and stallions had eyes for her, but the one who truly won her over was the stallion that would become her husband and Applejack’s Father. He was strong, handsome, and courageous; one who would fling himself into danger if it meant saving his family. He was stubborn, like many other colts, but his heart was grand and took his wife’s breath away. One cloudy afternoon, Applejack’s Mother left for Ponyville to pick up supplies and foal formula for Applebloom, while her Father stayed at the farm to buck the appletrees before the rains eventually came. When the rain hit, Mom hadn’t found her way home, but Applejack and the rest of the family gathered inside when the rain soon became a storm. An hour passed, and Mother didn’t come home. Applebloom was crying, and Granny Smith tried to calm her down, but it was no use. She needed her Mother, who was out there somewhere. “I’m going.” Applejack’s Father says, putting on his Stetson hat and opening the door. “No!” Applejack ran to him, wrapping her forelegs around his front hoof, hanging onto him for dear life. “Don’t leave me! Don’t leave us!” Applejack’s Father gently pushed her aside, kneeling down to her, smiling his kind and gentle smile to give her a sense of assurance and warmth. “It’s okay, AJ.” He says, “Mommy is probably safe in town. Ah just need ta make sure that she’s okay. That’s all.” “Then, let me come with ya!” “I’ll go, too.” A young Big Macintosh steps in. “No.” their Father sternly says. “You two must help Granny Smith take care of Applebloom. Yer Mother and Ah might not be back tonight, but we will definitely be back tomorrow. Ah give you mah word.” “Ya promise!” Applejack asks, tears welling up in her eyes. “Nothing will stop me from comin’ back to y’all, ah promise.” He kisses his Daughter on the forehead, before straightening up his Stetson hat for his trek through the thunder and rain. “You’ll take care of em’, right, Granny Smith?” “Yer darn right ah will.” Their father nods in approval, darting out into the storm with all his might and bravery. Big Mac shut the door tightly to prevent any more rain from entering the house. Applejack sat at the door, wondering if she did the right thing; wondering if she should have tried harder to stop him. Something inside her told her that he should have left; that her Mother was safe, and all they had to do was wait it out. However, like all members of the Apple family, once they set their mind on a task, they will do what it takes to see it through to the end, bitter or not. “They’ll be fine.” Big Mac hugs his sister warmly. “Mom n’ Dad are strong ponies.” “Ah know, but…” Applejack cannot finish her worried thought, seeing the calm and smiling expression of her big brother. He’s staying positive, so she should too. “Yer right. They are strong. There’s no denyin’ that.” Applejack gives him her best positive grin, playfully pushing him with her hoof. “Let’s go tend to Applebloom.” The hours went by slowly. Every minute that Mom and Dad weren’t home felt like an eternity to Applejack. Despite the insistence from Granny Smith and Big Mac, she remained unconvinced that they were safe and sound. She would glance at the door every so often, hoping, praying that they would walk through the door with smiling faces and wet manes. It got to the point where Applejack refused to go to bed, sleeping on that couch that seemed comfortable at first, but its displeasure would appear after long uses. The nine o’clock hour hit, Applejack was trying to relax, but the thunder and lightning were more than enough to startle her from a potential good night’s rest. That’s when she heard it. The faintest voice of her Father through the rain and the thunder. “We’re almost there!” Applejack could hear her Father say. Applejack hopped off the couch and barreled for the door, opening it without a second thought, not caring that the rain has splattered on her face. Through the heavy downpour, she can see her Mother and Father trudging through the storm. Her Mom is carrying bags of groceries, which were getting heavier with each rogue raindrop flooding her bag. Applejack wasn’t sure what compelled them to come home at this point in time. They might have found shelter to stay at. They were probably safe there. Somehow, they decided to come back, rather than wait it out till morning. She didn’t want to know specifics at the time; all she wanted was for them to return safely to the strong and durable farmhouse. The young filly ran into the rain, heading towards them with a smile on her face and a sense of purpose. “Mommy! Daddy!” Her Mom and Dad look at her in surprise, shocked that their Daughter would risk her safety to see them. “Applejack!” Mom shouted. “Stay back! It’s too dangerous!” “Ah can help! Give me yer bags!” “Applejack! Get back in the house!” Her Father demanded, but she still wasn’t slowing down. “You left the door open! Applebloom could get sick!” “But…” “Just go!” he bellowed, effectively stopping her a mere twenty feet away from them. “We can take care of this!” Applejack began to relent and turn around, when a bolt of light lunged out of the sky, striking a tree by her. It was a powerful strike, one that reduced the base to a black cinder, making it unstable; susceptible to a fall. “Applejack! Move!” Mother shouted, but Applejack stood still, petrified by the lighting blast. “Applejack!” The base began to crumble, the tree became weighted down by the rain, making the blackened area turn to cinder and ash. Applejack was frozen in fear as the tree started its descent downwards, threatening the filly’s life. “NO!” Dad shouted, running to Applejack at a quick speed. By his side was Mom, dropping her groceries for the safety of their foal. The two look at one another for a brief second, an expression of quiet realization and resignation passed through them, knowing what could be in store for them, should they succeed in their rescue. Applejack stared helplessly at the tree, coming down on her like it’s in a state of slow motion, yet she is unable to do anything. Her hooves feeling like they’re stuck in an immovable sludge that prevents her from making even the slightest of steps. Suddenly, Applejack is hit by a powerful force mere seconds before getting crushed by the tree, sending her flying away from the crash site, and into the mud with a tremendous impact. She came to her senses within seconds, wincing at the pain of being pushed and the nasty tumble that she endured. Her eyes shut in discomfort are opened by another sound of booming thunder. Tumbling past her vision was a curious sight. An article of clothing that is rarely seen without the wearer attached to it. Her Father’s Stetson hat. Applejack slowly turned to see the tree that was so close to crushing her on the ground; branches lifelessly waving through the wind, but the trunk remained unmoved. Underneath, her parents lied there; forehooves touching one another, still alive, and staring into each other’s eyes. Their backs have been crushed by the tree, leaving them trapped underneath, with no way of getting them out. “Mom! Dad!” Applejack screamed, galloping over to them. Weakly, the two look back at her. She comes to a sliding stop facing the two, who are looking at her with soft smiles, not realizing their current state. Or, they do realize, but do not care, knowing that their daughter was safe from harm. “Applejack….” Father says. “Thank goodness you’re…” Mother trails. Her Mother and Father go silent, laying their heads down in the mud, eyes slowly going shut, but their smiles remaining on their faces. “Mommy….Daddy?” Applejack’s voice cracks, not understanding what has happened. “Get up. We’re almost home.” She shakes them, but they do not awaken. “Get up! It’s time to go! Mommy! Daddy!” A bolt of lightning flashes across Applejack’s vision. Her parents do not flinch at the light, nor do they react to the thunder that followed. Applejack once again becomes frozen with the realization coming to her with a great speed. Her parents have died. Small cries eek out of her mouth, like words jumbled through grief and shock. Finally, just as Big Mac and Granny Smith come outside to see what happened, Applejack let out the loudest, bone chilling scream that nopony had ever heard from her before, nor since then. It overpowered the thunderclaps and the raindrops splashing down into the muddied waters below. She screamed and screamed and screamed, even with the strong Big Mac trying to reign in his sadness pulling her back from the sight, she never faltered from her loud and piercing combination of sadness, trauma, and absolute horror at what she just witnessed. Matt sat still, listening to Applejack relay her story; all the while she is pressed up against him with tears pouring from her eyes. His shirt is damp, but he doesn’t care; he would let her cry all night if he had to. His hands brush her coat, and run through her mane, trying to keep her comfortable and safe in her recount of events past. The sadness of her tale brought tears to Matt’s eyes, but he tries to remain strong for her, even as the tears run down his cheeks and onto her mane. “Ah…ah killed em’.” Applejack’s voice breaks, “Ah killed mah parents.” “AJ…” Matt says in a near whisper, “It wasn’t your fault.” “Yes it was! If ah wasn’t so stubborn, that tree would have fallen before they got there, and they would have come home safe and sound. It’s mah fault that they’re dead! They must have hated me. Probably watchin’ me now, blamin’ me for everythin’ that happened. Ah want to make them proud, but ah…ah feel like I still haven’t.” Applejack holds him tighter, like he’s going to leave at that very moment. Matt doesn’t know what to say to her; what he can do to prove that the same fate will not fall on him or their daughter. The story of her Parents’ sacrifice made him sad, but also, in some way, a little proud. Their last moment was saving the life of their daughter; they had to have known that the likelihood of survival was slim, but they did it anyway, to make sure that Applejack would continue living. Matt moves a hand away from Applejack’s coat, and onto her cheek. Her grip lessens, and she looks up into his kind and gentle eyes. “I don’t think they hated you, Applejack.” Matt says with sincerity. “They loved you; so much so, that they risked everything for you. They died to keep you safe.” “But ah didn’t want them to. Ah ain’t worth it.” “Yes you are. You are more than worth it.” Matt smiles, remembering that he too nearly sacrificed himself to save her. “I’m so sorry, AJ. You experienced something awful, and spent so many years blaming yourself for it. But, look at how far you have come. You continued on with the family business, delivering smiles to everypony in Equestria. Not to mention, you are happily married, with a wonderful daughter. You parents must have known about this, they saw this future for you. They gave everything, so that you would have it.” Applejack stares longingly into his eyes, realizing that he’s right. Her parents did love her with everything they had. They showed no apprehension, hesitance, or fear when rushing out to save her. Things might have been different if she stayed home, but then again, things may not. She will never know that potential future, and should focus on the now. Still, it had to be said… “Matt…” she smiles, “You are so cheesy when ya try ta make me feel better.” “Is it working?” “A little bit.” She chuckles, resting her head back on his chest. “Ah wish ya could have met em’. They woulda liked ya.” “Me too. Then again, they might have mistaken me for a monster, and your Dad would have tackled me.” “Well…yeah…but afterwards, they would have liked ya. “ The chuckle becomes a laugh. “I’m sorry for not tellin’ ya sooner.” “Don’t be sorry. Like you said, you weren’t ready.” “Maybe next time, I’ll tell ya some really funny stories Ah had with em’.” “I’d like that.” Matt hugs her gently. They hear the sound of creaking wood behind them. Turning around, the two see Clementine, standing at the door with tears in her eyes. She heard everything. Knowing that she had been spotted, Clementine galloped towards them, jumping on the bed, and lunges for her mother, holding on to her. Matt puts a free arm around her, and holds them both. “Mom!” Clementine cries, “I’m sorry! Ah didn’t know!” “Shhh…it’s okay, sugarcube. It’s alright now.” Applejack calms her. “Don’t ya worry bout a thing.” She looks at her daughter, feeling that though she is still her little filly, there has to be a point where she can trust her to be safe. “Clem…” Clementine looks up. “It…it won’t rain as much tomorrow. If he’s available…maybe ya can go to Slip’s house then.” “Are ya sure?” “Ah am.” Applejack smiles an assuring smile. “But yer Father and Ah will take ya.” “Okay.” Clementine grins, maintaining her grip on her Mother. Applejack looks back up at Matt. She has begun the road of putting trust in the safety of Clementine when it comes to rain, but isn’t entirely ready. The pain from all those years ago is still present within her, but she is willing to take steps. “Baby steps…” Applejack softly mouths to Matt. Matt nods in understanding. She isn't ready to take that big step. He holds onto them closely, as the rains outside begin to pour harder. The thunder and lighting cause Applejack to flinch, but Matt holds them tighter, letting them know that he's not going anywhere. His eyes wander around the room, looking for any leaks, but thanks to the architecture and help from friends, no water has found its way into the house as of this day. Finally, his eyes fall on Applejack's hat and bands. Her stetson hat and red bands. Her Father's stetson hat and Mother's red bands. They didn't leave her. They never did. "Thank you." Matt mouthed to the items, tears going down his cheeks.