Applejack Through the Ages

by Paradise Oasis

Riding off into the Sunset

Riding off into the Sunset

"Amazing! I can't believe Cherry would betray me like that!" Countryside told the two other ponies, as they all watched the sheriff cart Curly and Cherry Sweet away. "And after all I done fer her, givin' her a place to work an' all!"

"What'll you think'll happen ta the two of them, Hunter?" Candy apple asked, as Cherry flashed her a look of anger back in her direction.

"Ah reckon Curly will swing fer what he's done, seein' as how all those ponies turned up dead when they wouldn’t sell ta him." The stallion snorted. "As fer Cherry, I hear she's got connections back in her home country o' Dream Valley, so she'll probably only get about ten years er so, then be banished back ta there."

"Well, I can certainly tell y'all I'm not stayin here!" Countryside snorted indignantly, trotting back inside the saloon. "I've been thinkin o' retiring fer some time now, an' almost getting burned ta death is kind o' a sign that maybe that time is now!"

"But Country.... this Saloon the lifeblood of this heyah little town!" Candy Apple protested. "What'll happen to it without the bar!"

"Child, I was thinkin' maybe I'd pass it on ta y'all." The old mare sighed, looking back at the old saloon with a lot of fond memories. "Let ya run it fer me, and send the money ta me back north."

"Well now, ah think that's a mighty fine deal!" Butterfly Hunter said with a smile, looking back at me. "What y'all think of that one now, Candy?"

"That- that's incredible!" Apple replied in shock, trying to keep herself from fainting. "I promise I won't let y'all down!"

Oh no... mama, did you run ANOTHER business into the ground?!

No, my little apple blossom, this time there was no competing business stallions out to ruin my business. The saloon continued to prosper for many years, serving group after group of thirsty cowponies diving those herds to market back in Equestria. But every year the herds got smallest and smaller, and every year more and more ponies left the town. Finally, all that remained was a bunch of crumbling, boarded up buildings... and an old saloon that had been too stubborn to die.

So what'd you do then?

Well apple blossom, it was about then that I realized Butterfly was starting to show wrinkles around his eyes, and I, as expected, wasn't getting any older. Now, that old bounty Hunter had stayed with me through thick and thin for many many years, stopping in at the saloon between jobs. But he was still young enough to easily catch the eye of a mayor back east, if he weren't attached to an old nag like me. So, when the opportunity came, I realized it was time ta finally put my western trip out ta pasture...

"So, yer finally closing’ this place down, huh?" Butterfly Hunter pushed his Stetson back, shaking his head sadly. "Mighty fine shame, but ah reckon there's nothing ta be done about it."

"I don't have a choice here, Hunter. The whole town's gone now, the last cattle drive came through two years ago, and all my girls done moved back North." Candy replied sadly. "The only customers we get out here is the occasional drifter, and now that I got word that Miss Countryside's passed away, it's time fer me ta move on with my life, too."

"So you'll be headin’ back north too, ah reckon." The stallion lowered his Stetson, perhaps to hide the tears that might be in his eyes. "It'll shore be a lot quieter with y'all gone."

"It's high time I head back to my old home town, back ta Ponyville. I been wantin' ta see if I still have some kinfolk alive there." The mare replied, looking out over the horizon. "I was thinkin' Hunter... why don't y'all come with me?"

"Back north? Naw, my heart belongs ta these lands." He said with a sigh. "Besides, them buffalo... they're could use a couple a' stallions like me... as go betweens fer dealin’ with the pony traders an' merchants who come down here."

He took a step towards the saloon mare, and took her in his hooves. Before Candy even had time to react, he planted a warm kiss on the shocked mare's lips "Now y'all take care of yoself, ya hear?"

The stunned pony only nodded in silence, and could only manage a soft 'goodbye', as the rugged cowpony rode off into the sunset. Turning back to her work of boarding up the windows, Candy Apple tried to hold back the tears that kept just kept leaking out of her eyes...

*sob* B-but that's so sad, mama! Why could you stay with him?

Because that wouldn't have been fair ta him, apple blossom. But butterfly hunter was the greatest stallion I ever met... well, next to your father, of course. But he and I had no future together, and it wouldn't have been right ta try and hold that wild western stallion down. Now, dry your little tears, and I'll continue my story.

Anyway, as I took that final train that was heading back east, I decided was time to return to my roots... to go back to being the apple pony I had been in my first lifetime. Taking inspiration from your late uncle Big Mac's color scheme and cutie mark, I had my coat dyed red, and my mane colored green and yellow. Having a big red apple with a tablecloth under it painted on as my cutie mark, I decided that enough generations had passed that I could again use the name that I preferred above all others...

"Hey there, my name's Applejack!" The mare behind her exclaimed, startling the serving mare. "Can I get a bite to eat?"

The roadside vendor turned to face the newcomer, though she shouldn't have been surprised to see a mare at the first train station/rest stop coming into Equestria from the south. No, what surprised Pick-a Lily was how cheerful of a mood the red mare was in, considering the recent turn of events here in Equestria.

Oh, the red mare had seen the tarps of black crepe hung everywhere, and the mournful expressions of all the ponies she had passed since the train Passed over Ghastly Gorge, and arrived at the Froggy Bottom bog rail station, but the confused AJ hadn't really figured out what had happened yet. With a somber nod, the pink serving mare with the yellow, orange, and green cutie mark turned back towards her grill. "Sure, what can I get you?"

"Oh, I'll take a hayburger, with a side of oats, and an apple cider, please!" She then looked around in confusion. "Say, could you tell me why everyone seems so glum? I've never seen ponies in Equestria this down before!"

"You're... not from around here, are you?" Pick-a-lilly asked, to which AJ silently nodded. "I thought so, another returning settler from the frontier I take it? Well, get used to ponies being sad, 'cause you'll be seeing a whole lot of it."

"Why is that?" Applejack asked in surprise, not believing the happy kingdom of Equestria was so sad. "What the hay happened here?!"

"Didn’t you know?" The pink serving mare snorted, turning back from her grill to face the older pony. "Our beloved Princess Celestia has passed away!"

Comments

[FleetlordAvatar]

Thats a sad hing to come home to, wonder how she reacted?

[Aatxe360]

Did you rewrite this?

[Paradise Oasis]

5036613

No, it got deleted by accident and I had to repost it. Anyway, what did you think?

[Aatxe360]

5036648

Ouch.

A few capitalization errors here and there. Otherwise enjoying it. Very curious on Celestia's death. Luna still seems to be around, however. It feels like it might be more or less 300 years since the story began. I'm taking into account time to meander from one arc to the next and things happened that either she forgot or don't feel they bear repeating.

[Paradise Oasis]

5037311

That's pretty accurate, though remeber the story started almost a century after FiM, Remeber only Rairty amongst the others was the only one still alive. Soooo about four hundred years after FiM!

[Aatxe360]

5037415

I had forgotten. It's been awhile.

[keam]

Can't wait to see AJ's reaction!

[La Vallett1]

Well, I guess AJ had quite a shock on hearing that news the first time.