Appledashery Vol. Two

by Just Essay

The Day the Apple Fell

One by one—some in pairs and others groups—the citizens of Ponyville departed from the hilltop garden. The Mayor shook hooves with Carrot Cake and his teary-eyed marefriend Cup while a fluffy-mane'd filly with bright blue eyes looked on in a melancholic stupor. Granny Smith shuffled off, murmuring quiet words to her cousins while patting a slumbering Apple Bloom. A few lingering ponies hovered around to offer comforting words before trotting towards the heart of town in a quiet slump. Big Macintosh was nowhere to be found.

And Applejack...

Applejack stood before the two graves. A cold afternoon breeze drew over the hilltop, blowing at her dark skirt and blonde pigtails. She blinked, her emerald eyes drained of all vibrance. They reflected a pair of tombstones—as dark as her irises. Breath after breath, she lingered there... as if waiting for the wind to blow her away too.

Just as she was starting to read the treasured names chiseled in stone for the thirtied consecutive time—

"Uhm... erm... M-Miss Applejack?"

The teenager turned around.

Filthy Rich stood, almost flinching as soon as she made eye-contact with him. The stallion bit his lip, wearing a jet-black suit with a matching tie. Far behind him, an oppulently dressed mare tapped her fetlock in muddled impatience.

"Nothin' I could ever say or do can properly convey just... just how deeply sorry I am for what's transpired." Filthy Rich gulped. "To you and your whole entire family. I..." His jaw lingered open while genuine tears rested along the edges of his sockets. He composed himself and limply continued. "They were more than business partners to me and my father and his father before him." He gulped hard. "They were my fr-friends. Nothing's quite goin' to be the same with them gone."

Applejack nodded. Her eyes wandered off towards the orchards. When she finally spoke, it was in a noticeably shaky tone: "I'm honored to hear such nice and polite words, Mr. Rich. Reckon Ma and Pa would take kindly to them as w-well."

"Yes. Yes, I-I'm sure." Filthy Rich still stood his ground, although with a noticeable fidget. "Applejack, darlin', there's somethin' else. Somethin' I've been meanin' to pass along. Y'see..." He suddenly bit his tongue, then squinted at the hilltop around them. "Where did Granny Smith and Big Macintosh go off to?"

"Oh..." Applejack inhaled. "...I don't know." She exhaled.

"Well... all thangs considered... yer the one with all the ambitious ideas in that pretty lil' head of yers." Filthy Rich tried to smile. He sniffled. "Seems only fittin' that I hoof this to you first... seein' as I've always felt you were the one who represented that which made the Apple-Rich connection work like a well-oiled machine all these years."

"Huh?" Applejack craned her neck. "Mr. Rich? What have you got in yer hooves?"

"It's... uhm..." Filthy Rich cleared his throat, then took a few bold steps forward. He offered a brown stetson in his fetlocks. "It's somethin' yer bound to recognize."

Applejack's muzzle fell agape. "Pa's hat..." She blinked. Hard. Reaching forward, she gratefully took the article—then cradled it like it was made of glass. "But... b-but..." Her eyes turned glossy; she dried them in a blink and looked at Filthy Rich. "The avalanche. I thought my folks had lost it in the accident along with the rest of their—"

"It... it was needin' to be patched up," Filthy Rich stammered. "Yer Pa was never one to admit when he needed an alteration in his fashion statements. And... well... truth is his and the missus' anniversary was comin' up and he wanted to look as fine as possible for her. So..." Filthy smiled delicately. "I offered to have my store's best seamstress fix it up for him... all nice and proper. No fee. That's why it wasn't with him when..." He grimaced.

Applejack stared at him. She hugged the hat to her chest—gently.

"Well..." Filthy's voice was breathy as he nevertheless smiled. "It's fixed up real nice now. Fit for a prince. Royalty would be humbled mighty fierce in the presence of yer folks."

Applejack limply nodded. "Yes..." She gazed down at the hat. "...no doubt."

A strong hoof rested on her shoulder.

Applejack looked up.

Filthy gazed compassionately at her. "Applejack... if you or yer family need anythang... anythang at all." His brow furrowed. "All you need to do is ask. I'll help y'all in any way I can. That's a promise."

Slowly, Applejack nodded. "S-sure thing, Mr. Rich."

"Will you pass that along to Granny and Big Macintosh for me?"

"Will do, Mr. Rich," Applejack said. "And thank you kindly."

Filthy Rich gave a sigh of relief, as if throwing a large weight off his shoulders. However—as he backtrotted from Applejack and the graves—the melancholy slowly returned to his features. He lingered under a gray cloud, then finally turned about to join his wife in the long march to downtown.

Applejack remained.

She turned the hat over in her grasp and glanced inside. A single stallion's name was stitched beneath the brim. As she recalled, it had grown faded and threadbare over time—but now a new tag was in its place, bright and colorful. The name was as clear as granite, and it tore straight through her soul.

Clenching her eyes shut, Applejack hugged the stetson as gently as could be afforded, and drifted in its haunting scent.

Comments

[fourths]

And just when you thought Rainbow's sorrows would be filling up your heart... here comes Applejack's, just to top them off.

[fourths]

Also, a sex tag? Ooh la la!

[RoboRed]

[zaponator]

Off to a sad start.
I like it already.

[BabySkittleMonster]

Oh, but how the tears will flow... I daresay this will be equally as sorrowful as the previous installment - if not more so.

[JAK0723]

a fluffy-mane'd filly with bright blue eyes looked on in a melancholic stupor

Are we supposed to know who this is? I don't think it's Pinkie Pie, I doubt she would have known Applejack ay that age, plus her hair would probably be straight if she were sad.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Ah, the AU tag, where Applejack's hat can be more special and one in a kind, unlike the show where it's just one more of a thousand inside a closet.

[arancaytar]

Applejack's muzzle fell agape. "Pa's hat..." 

Well, one of them.

(Actually I could have sworn that one was a Skirts story too.)