Reflections.
Applejack looked at her reflection, brushing her mane slowly as the day ended. She took it easy, one of the few pleasures she really allowed herself sometimes. Apple Bloom was tucked into bed, Mac and Granny settin’ by the fire, enjoying a cup of something warm to break the chill of the evenin’.
She’d bid her goodnights, wanting to wander upstairs and sit for a while, just her and the mirror. She’d gotten into the habit when Ma and Pa passed on, talking to somepony, even if it was herself, helped a lot on some nights when she thought everything was goin’ to pot.
A few strokes of the brush as she sat at the dressing table brought her back to her reverie.
Gosh, where do ah start? So much has gone on and it’s been ages since I got to sit here for a moment.
Who’d have thought? Who’d have thought that a voice over a pretty piece of jewelry could affect somepony so much. But it did, and that’s the wonder. She eyed the linkset, sitting on the wooden table top, gleaming in the lantern light.
I remember Twilight frettin’ after we met him, tryin’ to decide whether he’d be good or bad for Equestria, and sayin’ even if he was different she should try to be his friend. Otherwise, her ascension meant nothing.
Ah know ah had mah doubts, always do, and sometimes you gotta voice ‘em. So I let her know and we talked for days about it, keepin’ it close until we figured somethin’ out.
Apple Bloom thought the world of him, ‘specially when he called her commander. She’d been fit to bust when she told me that, I don’t think I coulda wiped that grin off her face with a bar of soap.
She laughed to herself, seeing the bright smile in the mirror. Even when the change took that away, Apple Bloom was sad, but then realized she’d been the first one in all of Equestria, and you couldn’t take that away no how.
I didn’t think nothin’ of it, just another job to handle with everything else. But it’s amazin’ how you can come to depend on somepony, even when they’re just a voice. He was always there, always. He’d play music for her, explaining what it was as she sat out on the porch some nights. He’d look through the camera, questioning what she was doin’ some days, drivin’ her to distraction ‘till she told him to stop botherin’.
When worries got her in their hold, making her wake in the middle of the night, all she had to do was say his name and he was there in a flash. He never slept, never took time off, he was always there for her.
Now how many folks can say that?
When he showed up that Hearth’s Warming eve with presents, well... I tell ya I couldn’t have been more shocked. Not possible right? Well, guess I was wrong, though Mac and I were gonna teach ‘em a lesson if it was some faker.
But he weren’t a voice no more, he was real and always around. She’d send him off to do something because she’d get tired of him hoverin’ like Rainbow Dash all the time. But he grew on ya, always kind, always polite, he just sorta started fittin’ in.
She closed her eyes, shaking her head as she remembered mistakes, oh so many, but nothin’ that couldn’t be fixed.
But we all learn don’t we? Ah mean I had to learn a lot and fast, teaching myself how to do things. If I say so, ain’t done too bad a job of it. Things are good, it’s quiet, apples are just fallin’ off the trees, the town is doin’ so well. It’s amazin’ how things can change by just a little bit and it spreads so far.
She fell for a voice, simple things make for simple pleasures ah reckon’.
Listening to him explain the stars, the world he came from, talkin’ and treatin’ her like she was something special every moment of the day. How could you not like that? Oh there’d been others, smooth talkers, always wantin’ something, or tryin’ to get away with things.
But he didn’t, he wanted nothing more than to talk, and when he made himself a..a...avatar, nothing more than to sit by her. Heck it was hard gettin’ rid of him some days!
She laughed again, brushing her mane still, taking her time.
I tell ya, we’ve been through some amazin’ adventures all told. Things from the Forest, out of time he’d said though he hasn’t quite explained everything yet. But that’s all right, he’ll get around to it.
Her emerald eyes wandered to the door, knowing he was out on the porch, setting there with Athena and looking at the sky, just thinking or talking between themselves.
He cared more than he really let on. Like when Fluttershy got hurt, she could tell he was angry. His voice wasn’t as steady and he was worried to his heart that he couldn’t fix her. But he did, and he blamed himself for letting it happen, though after it all, he’d finally come to realize nopony held him at fault.
It’s kinda hard to believe he’s not just a pony, but a huge thing..machine.. sitting under the grass out beyond the town’s borders. That he would do anything to protect them all. She remembered when he had uncovered himself, the sides of gleaming metal, the guns bristling all over his..hull? That was it. He was bigger than anything they’d ever seen in their lives.
Her breath had caught, seeing for the first time what really lay under that simple hill they’d walked over hundreds, no, thousands of times. Just remembering the sight of that machine coming out of the ground made her stop brushing for a moment. Her mind seeing the sun shining off all that metal and her Cutie Mark on the front of it making her blush like a school filly.
Ah coulda thumped him then, making it like that for everyone to see. Dangit. Rainbow was just snickering like there was no tomorrow I tell ya. But when I went home that evening, ah dunno, I was just pleased as punch he’d thought of me that way. Took a bit to sink in, but when it did, well...
So many things between that first time ah heard his voice and now. Who knew life could get so odd, and busy? She laughed softly in the night air, and of course Pinkie goin’ off the rails the other day; Nightmare Twilight, good grief.
But he always says ‘My Applejack’, when he talks to me, Ah dunno why but I get a warm feeling when he does. ‘Cause I know he belongs to me and ain’t nothin’ gonna take that away. She tilted her head, letting the soft mane air out before resuming brushing.
It gets hairy some times, like the night Discord played his little trick, causing them problems, cain’t blame him though; I mean he IS Discord, ain’t that what he’s supposed to do? Cause a bit of chaos and such? Well he sure did that time.
Strange seein’ him as real, seeing him tired and worried, haggard and bleary-eyed from workin’ so hard to get things ready so he could go back and fight for alla us.
She saw her reflection get a sad look in the mirror, feeling it on her face. He lost so many memories he said, he cain’t remember a lot of the folks he met during his life. Ah know some were special, he told me about them, but whenever I tell him or mention a name he gives me a funny look saying he doesn’t remember them.
Ah did feel sad for him when that all happened, but he told me not to worry, all the new memories will fill in the empty spots and there’s plenty of room he said.
She stopped her brushing for a moment, blushing across her face.
Granny always said you’ll remember your first kiss, an ah do. But the first time we did was so much more special.
Her eyes drifted for a moment, remembering those nights in Canterlot when she had to pull him away from the window. He didn’t blame anypony, well...maybe Discord, but he got a purty good shot in at the end. Think it musta rattled that old beast down to his hooves er.. paws? Feet? Sumthin’ like that. Hard to tell with Discord.
She laughed to herself, shaking her head as she reached back, running the brush along her tail.
The party that one night, when he started spoutin’ that fancy poetry or..Shakes..speare..Shakespeare! That’s it. Oh I was hopin’ it wouldn’t be the cider talking and it wasn’t. He was real, I was real, and it was just a moment but it meant so much. How do you explain those things?
And Rarity, that silly Unicorn, wantin’ a replay ‘cause she missed it. That goofy romantic dressmaker, ah hope she finds somepony so special it’ll knock her off her hooves. She deserves it.
Pinkie? Celestia knows who she’s gonna find, but ah do hope whoever it is can keep up with her. Applejack laughed to herself, chasin’ that pink blur through Canterlot, ah swear.
Twilight, now there’s somethin’ to think about. Athena’s got it in her mind to be her friend no matter what. You can see she takes to Twilight like a fruit bat to mah apples. You can tell Twilight likes her right back, them two are gonna be friends forever. Though with the trouble both of them get into sometimes, hard to tell who’s lookin’ out for who.
Shaking her head, the reflection showed a soft smile.
That trip to Las Pegasus was somthin’ else though. Kinda nice having some time with all of us just out and about. I mean it did end in a riot, but maybe things’ll get better? You can only hope some days, though Twilight says the park is doin’ well, and the city’s settled down, guess they ain’t toleratin’ no more fancy talk from bigshots anymore.
Gotta stand on yer own four hooves, that’s what Pa always said.
Rainbow, well what can ah say about her. She’s mah friend, always will be, but sometimes that stubborn mare gets things in her head and she just won’t let go. Kinda like Winona with a chew toy, just hard to give it up. Wouldn’t trade her friendship for all the bits in Equestria, though some days ya just want to bop her upside the head ‘till she gets things straight.
Then there’s Fluttershy. That little Pegasus is so kind ah swear, anypony ever breaks her heart they’re gonna have a lot of trouble on their hooves. Ah’d really hate to be in that pony’s horseshoes.
The reflection laughed again. The brush stroking along her tail gently, working out the tangles.
Athena. Well now there’s a thing, she’s a hoot sometimes ah swear. Crusader’s ‘sister’ in all ways but blood. Ah tell ya, keepin’ track of her is an all day job sometimes. If we can keep her and Apple Bloom from destroying Ponyville along with the rest of the Crusaders. She’s learnin’ though, and she’s a good filly. Though it’s kinda strange thinkin’ of somethin’ a million years or more old as a filly, but there ya go!
She’s sweet though, got a love of life ya just smile at when she’s out playing in the orchards with Apple Bloom. ‘Course ‘Bloom’s happy anyways, she’s growin’ up and learnin’ right alongside Athena. Funny thing, that Pegasus knows things ah cain’t imagine, yet she just wants to be herself. Now if we can just keep ‘em out of trouble long enough...
Her reflection pointed a hoof back at her. That reminds me, Athena’s got to stop telling Apple Bloom all the answers to her homework. She ain’t learnin’ nothin’! I’ll have to talk with her in the mornin’, ah know she thinks she’s helping an’ all.
I tell ya, Granny’s feeling tons better, somethin’ Crusader did and I’m awful glad. Her advice helped me figure out what was goin’ on in my own mind sometimes, ‘specially when I told her how I felt.
“You love who you love Jackie, ain’t no mindin’ what anypony else says.”
Granny’s always been the sort to see things simply, like most of us sometimes. I see her smile when I’m out on the porch with Crusader and Athena, she approves. That means a lot havin’ her nod.
Bringin’ Athena home that night, well that ol’ pony couldn’t have been happier. Showin’ the shy pegasus around and makin’ her a bed in one of the unused rooms. Treatin’ her like family she did, makin’ sure she had sheets and pillows an’ everythin’. Granny was always complainin’ about too much room not enough family. Well she’s got plenty now.
Ah guess thing’s are goin’ all right. ‘Cept that one time when Athena told me he wasn’t comin’ back. I knew it, I felt it, some way, somehow I knew when Athena started gettin’ a bit worried. When she finally told me there with the Princesses, ah didn’t want them to see a broken heart. Kinda hard bein’ strong for everypony else when all you want is to be alone in your own hurt.
Apple Bloom was a wreck, even Mac had problems. Granny accepts things, but even she had a look on her face like when Granddad passed on. Some things you think are goin’ to be around forever, then when they’re not, well..it’s kinda tough.
Somehow though he keeps turnin’ up like a bad bit, something you can’t get rid of. Ah was glad, don’t get me wrong, my heart could bust outta mah chest when I saw him standin’ there. He told me the same thing, although he didn’t quite understand where he’d been. We’re still tryin’ ta figure that one out.
The brush slowed, then stopped, as she checked to make sure everything was gleaming again. A long day, a good bath and now this, couldn’t be better. Her eyes turned to the figure in the mirror, making sure none of the tangles were still there, hitting a spot of two before she laid the item down on her dresser.
But, time to go drag them two in. They’ll be out there all night lookin’ at the stars if I don’t. For all the things they can do, still need somepony to remind ‘em to come in out of the cold. Ah know they don’t feel it like we do, but sometimes little things can be comfortin’ and familiar.
She heard the heavy hoofsteps of Mac heading to his room, a soft ‘Night Sis’ came through the door as she smiled, returning the sentiment in a gentle voice. Granny was downstairs getting herself snuggled in she was sure; a chilly night, warm hearth and an even warmer bed.
Ain’t much you need in life, there really isn’t.
As she got up from the chair, she turned one last time, looking at herself in the polished surface, reaching over and wiping a dust spot away with a flick of her hoof.
She lay her hoof on the shoulder of the orange pony looking back at her, flat against the glass, smiling softly.
Take care of yourself, ya hear? You depend on some ponies and they depend on you. Ain’t such a bad thing I reckon.
She turned to leave, going downstairs to bring in two ponies who should know better. Looking back one last time as her voice whispered in the still air.
“Thanks for the talk.”
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Yeah, make Fluttershy sad and all of the wild life of Equestria will rise up to maul you to bits. Then all of Ponyville. Then the Fans. And finally Discord will make you beg for mercy.
Wow... very serious chapter after the last silly one.
Now that was just sweet.
This was a nice little chapter. I could really hear Applepony's voice in my head here. Great job!
6493139 You forgot a certain four. Celestia and Luna are the pleasant bit of breathing room. Then they toss that poor fool to the uncompromising might of Athena and Crusader. Powdered bones, crushed organs, and two years to learn their bodies literal recovery limits. Then, and only then will they release the poor corpse without a single scratch on him.
6494072 who is applepony?
it was nice seeing applejacks side of everything
6495474 Exactly what he said!
Awwww. So sweet of you, Applejack.
6494516
I enjoyed this chapter, but I'm still not sure if I enjoy Crusader's relationship with the Orange background pony
6494516
*facepalm*
Just imagine what Crusader and Athena would do if goku popped out of the forest with the rest of the DBZ characters. It would be epic and funny. Just random thoughts.
Am I the only one that read this as whatever the first time?
6493139
Not mention ONE VERY angry Crusader, a quote from a Star Wars Legends book with Boba Fett in comes to mind which Fett actually says to a future Grandson in Law, You break her heart I break your legs, I’m sure Crusader would say something along those lines.
8557131
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I did too.