The Family Mare

by OroKinAu

A Family to Be Loved

"Where the buck is my diary!" I desperately searched everywhere in the house for it. Hopefully it would give me the answers I need. I check my room, Mac's former room that now is used by Cortland, Granny's former room that is now used by Macoun and Apple Bloom's now empty room. No where to be found. "There's only one place ah haven't searched yet...the attic."

I climbed up to the old dusty attic, the whole place still looked exactly the same from where I left it, filled with boxes and other family antiques. I scanned the room until I finally saw it; the safe. I walked up to the floor safe. "Ah hope the combination stayed the same." I turned the combination lock to match Apple Bloom's birthday. I quickly hear the tumblers inside spring open. It worked!

I gently opened the safe door to see several documents, the deed to the farm, my parent's will, our copies of our birth certificates, the access code to Trenderhoof's safety deposit box at the Equestrian Royal Bank...Trenderhoof has a safety deposit box?! Ugh, never mind, and...Granny Smith's will?

Curiously, I took out the document. It was indeed Granny Smith's last will in testament. It was only one full page long.

To MacIntosh: My personal savings to help him and his special somepony make their dreams of starting their own farm a reality
To Applejack: Full ownership of Sweet Apple Acres and the house along with all of my possessions.
To Apple Bloom: Custody of her will go Applejack until she starts university to study architecture.

Granny is dead? Things changed so much in just nine years. But as much as I would love to mourn her inevitable demise, I have answers to seek. I looked deeper in the safe to finally see what I was looking for...my diary. I quickly took it out and desperately flipped to where I last remember leaving off.

Dear Diary,

Today I met this very strange stallion by the name of Trenderhoof, he seemed like a nice colt, but was a bit creeped out over the fact that he has a crush on me for some reason. Like I would ever have the time for a steady relationship, I have farm to work for Celestia's sake! Anyways, I quickly told him that I am just not interested in him at all.

Okay, so far so good, I defiantly remember writing that.

But wouldn't you believe it, that stallion just won't give up. Whenever he wasn't with Rarity, he was at the farm begging to go on a date with him. My goodness he was desperate! And after a while it just started to get annoying.

I also remember writing that.

So after thinking about this long and hard, I decided to do what I felt is right

Threaten to buck him so hard that he won't be able to have foals for as long as he lived?

I took pity on him and went with him to the Ponyville fair as his date

WHAT?! I don't remember ever writing that!

I though I was going to have a horrible time with him, but surprisingly, I actually had a lot fun, he treated my so nicely and treated me like a proper mare, I swear I was instantly smitten with him. He even participated in the hoedown with me! Him, a fancy writer, doing a perfect hoedown, I was really impressed.

Anyways, I have to go to bed now, but I will continue this tale for tomorrow. Hopefully there is going to be a second date! Good night!

P.S. Mac, if I catch you reading this I'm going to buck you so hard that you won't be able to have foals for as long as you live! I mean it!

I gently closed my diary shut, I was in complete shock. I took pity on him? Was that where everything changed? I took pity on him?! I sighed. I quickly thought back to how I treated Trenderhoof, how I did not take pity him, Maybe I should have just given him a chance a make him happy. It's not like a stallion comes up to you and confesses his feelings for you every day.

"AJ!" yelled a familiar voice from downstairs. Apple Bloom?

"AJ! Ah'm here with the foals!"

I quickly put everything back in the safe and closed it. I then trotted down the stairs. "Apple Bloom?" I reach the living room to see an older Apple Bloom standing before me. Her pink bow was gone, now replaced by a pink bandanna around her neck.

"Mommy! Mommy!" yelled the foals as the ran to me and hugged me. "Auntie Bloom taught us how to play dominoes today!"

"Oh really?" I smiled at them.

"I kicked Cortland's butt!" bragged Macoun.

Cortland rolled his eyes. I couldn't help but smile at how cute and adorable they were.

"They were well behaved as always sis." assured Apple Bloom.

"Thank ya so much." I smiled at her, in awe at how much she grew.

The two foals both ran off to what I assume play with each other. "Wow...uh...nine years? Can ya believe it AB?"

"So glad ya two made it work, everyone was a bit shocked when ya told everyone the news that ya was datin' him." nodded my little sister.

"Speakin' of which, Sweetie Belle said 'hi'." I remembered my earlier meeting with her.

"Oh that's great, ah'm so glad Sweetie Belle at least TRIES to talk to us every once in a while despite what happened to ya and Rarity."

"By the way, ah'm uh...havin' trouble rememberin' how exactly me and Rarity stopped talkin'." I really wanted to know more about what happened.

"Applejack, ya should trust me on this..." she placed a hoof on my shoulder. "...ya don't want to know." she looked at my face, her eyes pleading with me not to talk about it, whatever it was.

"Oh..uh...of course." I nervously answer.

"APPLEJACK! I'm home!" announced Trenderhoof as he walked through the door with a new toolbox. He entered the living room to see me and my sister. "Oh hey Apple Bloom."

"Hey Trend, new tools?"

"Yep, now we can start building that gazebo Applejack always nags me about." he joked.

"She just won't stop with the gazebo?" laughed Apple Bloom.

"I know, I can't go a week without her mentioning how great it is to have one." he continued.

"That's my sister all right, anyways, ah have to get goin' home now, great talkin' to ya again." my sister said as she made her way out the door. "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!" and with that, my sister left for her place in Ponyville.

Trenderhoof turned to me. "Anyways, are you going to get started on dinner while I draw up the gazebo blueprints?"

"Oh...uh...sure, ah'll get started on that." I have no idea how often I cook, but I am so glad that I at least know how to cook most dishes.

"Mommy?" suddenly, Macoun comes running inside. "Cortland messed up my mane, do you mind brushing it for me like you always do?" she pleased with big puppy dog eyes.

"Ah have to get started on dinner...uh...sweetie...why don't ya ask yer dad?" I was worried that I would do a horrible job at.

"Please mommy! I really want us to have some filly talk together, I already spend enough time with daddy as is." she continued pleading.

Trenderhoof laughed. "She is daddy's little girl after all."

I sighed and caved in on my daughter. "Okay, okay, take me to yer room so ah can brush yer mane."

"YAY!" exclaimed Macoun as she lead me upstairs to her room. I really hopped I don't accidentally mess her mane up any further.

The filly happily took me into her room, I still surprised at how pink everything was, the whole thing was SUPER girly with pictures of castles, royalty and posters of colt bands. On the wall above the bed was a series of wood block letters that spelled out "Princess Macoun"

I looked to see her sitting at her desk in front of the mirror with a mane brush at her hooves. "I'm ready mommy."

"Okay." I nervously took the brush out of her hoof and placed it on mine. I reluctantly started to brush her mane.

Macoun gave a relaxed moan in response. "That's it mommy, feels so nice."

"So...any plans for tomorrow Macoun?" I ask, trying to make small talk.

"I'm going to hang-out with my filly friends so we can go shopping!"

Shopping? Yuck! How did my daughter become so darn girly?! She must have got it from Trenderhoof. "What else are ya goin' to do?"

"Probably go over to a friends house and spend the night."

"Well, that's nice." at least my daughter has friends, so I must have raised her right. That's a good sign.

I continued brushing her mane until it looked good enough. "Okay, how's that?"

"It's perfect mommy! Thank you so much!" she turned around a gave me a tight squeeze. As soon as she let me go, I smiled.

"Yer welcome, glad ah did a good job."

"You always do a good job mommy." she assured me. I smiled back at her, touched.

"Well...ah have to get started on the cookin'."

"What will you be making for dinner?"

"Uh..." I seriously had no idea. "...whatever is in the family cookbook?"

"So, the usual, got it." she giggled at me. I nervously laughed back as I left her room. Parenting may not be so bad after all, I practically raised Apple Bloom myself, so this must come naturally to me. As I walked I passed by Cortland's room, I peeked inside to see that it was neatly organized, with train models, science and travel posters, bookshelves and a fancy video game system. I decided to go in and talk to him. "Cortland?"

"Yes mommy?" he was on the bed reading a book about model trains, wearing reading glasses. How adorable!

"About to get started with dinner."

"Okay, just holler when it is done." Cortland said with a smile on his face.

"Will do." I nodded and smiled at him as I left for downstairs.

Now for my next challenge, what to cook? I really hopped I did not mess this up.

Comments

[SageBrony07]

That sweet. I wonder though what Discord wants her to learn. Thanks for the quick updates. They are great to read.

[Honest Wisdom]

Wow that was quick. You're good.

[rogueunicorn]

Really interesting. Can't wait for the update.

[DanvilleBengal]

Is it just me, or is this tale suspiciously similar to the movie "The Family Man", the one w/Nicholas Cage and Don Cheadle??

Because I am seeing tons of the same thing in the premise of this...

[OroKinAu]

4698197
The Family Man is also suspiciously similar to "It's A Wonderful Life"

But yes, there is going to be a lot of similarities.
Mustache for you

[DanvilleBengal]

4698385

Cool. Good to know that I wasn't going crazy..

And, I know that it is like "It's a Wonderful Life", but considering that I was born in the 80s, a lot of movies that I know well are relatively new, that is where I saw The Family Man. Celestia help the person that has never seen the original B/W version with James Stewart (if I'm mistaken, I apologize )

[DanvilleBengal]

4692715

It's probably cliche, but I'm betting that the lesson may be either missing opportunites or learning how life is so much more than just making a living.

Strangely, I am intrigued as to why DiScOrD of all ponies wanted to teach this lesson to Applejack, as well as why specifically Applejack--it could have been any other pony. Personally, I could see this more likely to happen to Rarity of all ponies----though in the same vein she's in the same state as Applejack.

[OroKinAu]

4698619
Don't worry, you'll know the reason why he is doing this at the very end of the story.

[RavenFire2908]

I keep reading this over, and over. And Never stop lovin it.... dont stop.... NEVEr

[Azure_Shadow]

This is a very intriguing story so far. I can't wait to see where this goes!

[tgb089]

Awww... Seeing AJ being a mother was cute.

[Yoshifan30]

Granny is dead? Things changed so much in just nine years. But as much as I would love to mourn her inevitable demise, I have answers to seek. I looked deeper in the safe to finally see what I was looking for...my diary. I quickly took it out and desperately flipped to where I last remember leaving off.

I mean Granny Smith is pretty old and she live a pretty long life I mean after what we saw and the episode The Last Problem yeah it was pretty sad

[Yoshifan30]

So it looks like Applejack is trying to find out what really happened so she check out her old diary and apparently it all started doing that Festival then Trenderhoof bugging her to go on a date with him after denying him she decided to give him a chance and somehow he turned out to be a pretty good guy and she really did fall in love with him which that surprised Applejack how in the world did that happen then seen her younger sister all grown up and she even got the chance to talk with her kids well mostly her daughter but still it was a pretty nice one now the challenging what kind of dinner they want