Appledashery Vol. Two

by Just Essay

An Old Apple

"So... all in all..." Fancy Pants floated the empty teacup down onto the table beside a stack of notes and financial reports. "...a fantastic start! Beyond fantastic, actually! Especially since this new party in Appleloosa is willing to buy several bushels of your finest product!" He adjusted his monocole and grinned across the meeting room within the Ponyville City Hall. "I'm telling you, my dear, we're taking broad strides into an area of social trade the likes of which have never been explored before! It was my lifelong dream to offer something that would appeal to the buffalo—both mountain and plains—and your golden delicious contributions have made my vision into a reality! I most certainly cannot thank you enough! I mean... the potential future ramifications of this are staggeringly brilliant! And already I have many delegates from Canterlot interested in the progress we've made. They're now coming to me to see about making contact with diamond dogs... sarosians... even naga! Have you heard of the naga? I hear they're reptilian in nature. Shape-shifters. Absolutely fascinating souls..."

Applejack sat across from him, staringly blankly at the space between.

Fancy Pants blinked. "Erm..." He chuckled nervously. "Good heavens, I've begun to ramble again, haven't I?"

"Hmmm?" Applejack looked up. She blinked. "Oh. I'm sorry, Fancy. It all does sound... plum amazin'."

"Well, to myself, most likely." He leaned back in his seat. "But I fear I may be focused too ardently on my own ethusiasm. Tell me, my dear, is everything quite alright?"

"Oh, darn tootin'!" Applejack sat up straight. "The farm's shinin' bright like it never has before! The hired hooves are doin' their part: benefitin' without leechin' off us none. Granny Smith is preparin' to undergo a much-needed hip replacement."

"Oh, bless her heart."

"Eeyup. Apple Bloom's free of stress; she's been able to concentrate a lot more on her school work. Big Mac is livin' life up in the clouds—figuratively speakin'..."

"Heheh..."

"And all this business with the Appleloosan Buffalo sounds mighty fine. I can't wait to see what it can do for our ongoin' partnership."

"Of that—I have little to no apprehension," Fancy Pants said. "However, I must ask again—for I fear you may have misunderstood my inquiry..." His eyes narrowed. "How are you doing, Miss Applejack?"

"Me?" Applejack blinked in confusion. "Why, I'm doin' quite fine, sir."

"Mmmmmhmmm..." Fancy Pants rubbed his chin, smiling gently. "It wouldn't be very customary of the Element of Honesty to stretch the truth a bit, now would it, hmmm?"

Applejack's brow furrowed. "You sayin' that I'm lyin', sir?"

"Heheheh... No. No no no no..." Fancy Pants leaned forward, kneading his two fetlocks together in a calm fashion. "However, if there's anything I've learned from studying my fellow equine associates—it's that a pony cannot very well ascertain what is true from what is false when there is very little that is concrete."

"I... I-I'm afraid I dun follow, sir." Applejack gulped. "Cement mixin' has never been my specialty. Big Mac, on the other hoof—"

"It's okay to say you're unhappy, madame," Fancy Pants said firmly. "Even if everything is going your way." He raised an eyebrow. "Even if you don't quite understand why..."

Applejack stared at him.

Fancy Pants calmly looked back.

With a heavy exhale, the mare leaned back. She raised one hoof, nibbling slightly on the edge of it as she stared off with a pensive expression. At long last, she swallowed a lump down her throat and murmured to the walls of the room: "All I ever wanted was for the farm to float by just fine. And now that it is... I mean... now that you've come in and helped us accomplish all that we've ever dreamt for... I reckon I dang-near accomplished all that I set my heart to way back when I first made promises to my folks..." She took a shuddering breath. "...to my folks' graves."

Fancy Pants nodded. "I see..."

"And everythang truly is wonderful. It's all just so plum amazin'. Granny's gettin' her health looked at. Apple Bloom's happy. Big Mac is movin' on in life. Heck... even Winona's tail is wagging more than usual!"

"Heheheh..." Fancy Pants grinned. "...you've spent your whole life making promises for other ponies... and now you're meeting them." He exhaled calmly. "... ... ...did you ever once stop to make promises to yourself?"

Applejack bit her lip. "I... I always thought I was..." She grimaced slightly. "But... but now that everythang is meetin' up all even-like..." She looked at the stallion with drooping ears. "...is it even right for me to feel all sixes and sevens?"

Fancy Pants leaned back with a breath. "Contentment can be a very, very frightening landscape." He cocked his head slightly to the size. "Positively mortifying for a hard-working soul such as yourself."

"Please, Fancy..." Applejack shook her head. "I ain't complainin'—"

"And I wouldn't presume that you would," he said. "At the same time, this is a fairly great change in your life. And it shouldn't be that alarming that you would—in fact—find yourself reassessing things."

"It's like... like..." Applejack squirmed.

"Like the need to make something happen for you, Miss Applejack," Fancy Pants said. "And you alone."

Applejack's eyes were slightly misty. "Guess I've had the luxury of never havin' to put myself in the spotlight." She sniffled. "It feels... mighty heavy."

Fancy Pants nodded. "If it helps... I would be more than happy to lend you an ear."

She looked at him.

He smiled. "I've been in that same place myself. In a lot of ways, I still am. I find that the best thing to do is to communicate with those I trust. With friends."

Applejack smiled. She cleared her throat, rubbed her eyes dry, and murmured, "I have me the best friends anypony could ever ask for."

"Well, bully! Bully!" Fancy Pants grinned. "Perhaps you know where to start!"

"Yes..." Applejack nodded. "And... no."

"No?" Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow.

"Friends make my world go round," Applejack said. "But so does hard work. But..." She smiled at the stallion. "You'll be happy to know I'm workin' on both in the next two days."

"Oh? Are you speaking of a fresh new apple harvest?"

"No!" Applejack chuckled. "I'm talkin' about a barn raisin'!"

Comments

[Lamplighter]

Enter Lancie.

[Phoenix Kitten]

This is nice, AJ has someone to share her troubles with... in a startlingly similar way to Dash and Lancie.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Time to raze a barn.

Edit: Bucky Barns totally sounds like a pony name.

[Booster Spice]

"I... I-I'm afraid I dun follow, sir." Applejack gulped. "Cement mixin' has never been my specialty. Big Mac, on the other hoof—"

What with the pounding and the grinding and the Fairy Liquid...

[FloydienSlip]

sixes and sevens

It was a red suck over Poncho Villa at dawn. Sailor take warm knees.

[zaponator]

1, 2, 3, 4~

[PropMaster]

8557624
Glad somebody else spotted this.

[9bobby42]

"So... all in all..." Fancy Pants floated the empty teacup down onto the table beside a stack of notes and financial reports. "...a fantastic start! Beyond fantastic, actually! Especially since this new party in Appleloosa is willing to buy several bushels of your finest product!" He adjusted his monocole and grinned across the meeting room within the Ponyville City Hall. "I'm telling you, my dear, we're taking broad strides into an area of social trade the likes of which have never been explored before! It was my lifelong dream to offer something that would appeal to the buffalo—both mountain and plains—and your golden delicious contributions have made my vision into a reality! I most certainly cannot thank you enough! I mean... the potential future ramifications of this are staggeringly brilliant! And already I have many delegates from Canterlot interested in the progress we've made. They're now coming to me to see about making contact with diamond dogs... sarosians... even naga! Have you heard of the naga? I hear they're reptilian in nature. Shape-shifters. Absolutely fascinating souls..."

I like the reference to my ever beloved austraeoh.