23
A few months later...
Little stirred on the farm that morning, save for a few final snowflakes as they joined their fellows in blanketing the landscape in white. This was one of those rare special occasions when an early start was not necessary: Hearth’s Warming. For the Apple family, that meant that the apple trees had long since been bucked of their fruit, and their produce sold or stored for later use. Like for everypony else, it also meant that they would spend the day with their friends and loved ones, eat and drink far too much, and generally have a wonderful time. But for now everything was quiet and peaceful, and would remain so for another while.
The new Mrs Apple stirred from her sleep with a murmur, her eyes remaining closed against the faint morning sunlight, and snuggled her face into the warm expanse of her husband's chest, not quite ready to greet the day yet.
"Mornin', darlin'," Mac whispered, a big foreleg draping across her shoulder. Applejack cracked an eye up at him, before closing it again and snuggling even closer, hugging him as tightly as her still waking body could manage.
"...long you been awake?" she whispered back.
"Not long," he said, smiling. "Just wanted to see ya again soon as." She giggled, kissing his chest softly whilst he stroked her back, and only squirming slightly when his hoof dropped just a little too low to be polite.
“Would’a thought you’d have had enough after last night, stud,” she teased, cracking her eyes again to smirk up at his big, stupid, handsome face. He in turn smirked back down at her cute little freckles and beautiful green eyes before replying, only half-jokingly:
“Ah could never get enough of you, Applejack.”
“Awww…” she cooed, drawing herself up his form to plant a kiss on his welcoming lips, which he quickly returned, and the two soon lost themselves for another short while.
Time passed. For the new couple it flew by in a haze of passionate ecstasy, but for their unfortunate daughter it positively crawled past, having been roped into helping her great-grandmother make everypony their festive morning hot drinks. Poor Apple Bloom was positively bouncing on her little hooves before the kettle even began to whistle, struggling to comprehend what in all Equestria could be keeping her parents shut inside their room on Hearth’s Warming morning of all times, regardless of what happened the day before! When questioned, Granny Smith had simply smiled knowingly and said, cryptically as anything, that they were “just enjoyin’ each other’s company fer a bit”, and that they would be down soon enough.
““Enjoyin’ each other’s company”? It sounds more like they’re wrestlin’ with a timberwolf up there!” Granny Smith had simply laughed at the filly’s innocent wonderings, and managed to grab her attention by telling her to focus on the hot kettle instead of her absent mother and father.
“Soon enough” rolled around eventually, and a freshly showered Applejack, wrapped in the towelling robe Rarity had made as a wedding present, descended the stairs with a happy glow about her that soon dissolved any annoyance Apple Bloom felt at having to wait to open her presents.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming, sweetheart,” Applejack said, smiling warmly as Apple Bloom rushed over to hug, kiss and be hugged and kissed, before she hoisted her filly onto her back and trotted into the living room, taking a sip of her offered cocoa just as Mac’s hooves sounded on the stairs. Apple Bloom giggled when he pushed his wet mane into her face for an overly sloppy kiss and a slightly more sensible nuzzle, before puzzling over why his mane was wet in the first place.
“How come yer mane’s all wet too? Did y’all share a shower or somethin’?” The two adults looked back at her mid-nuzzle, then shared a grin and a blush as Applejack said:
“Yep, we sure did! We decided it would save on the hot water, y’know, seein’ as we’re in the middle o’winter. Besides, we’re married now and married ponies ain’t embarrassed about sharin’ a shower every now and again.” Something about the way Applejack looked at Big Macintosh as she explained reminded Apple Bloom about the way he and Miss Cheerilee had looked at each other when they had drank that love poison, and instantly felt the need to gag, even if she didn’t fully understand why. Granny Smith just rolled her eyes and swatted the newlyweds with a handy tea towel, finally ushering them all to their seats around the tree and beginning their Hearth’s Warming Day in earnest.
They spent most of the rest of their morning opening presents and cards from each other, their extended family, and all their friends there in Ponyville, of which there had never been more. They had of course been nervous about announcing their important news to the townsponies, but with the solid support and friendship of Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rainbow (not to mention Spike, who was particularly helpful with Apple Bloom’s peers) everything went swimmingly. Mayor Mare had been instrumental in helping to ensure that as much pertinent information was as widely available as possible, and soon the Apples were being bombarded with a town-wide outpouring of sympathy and support.
Some were less supportive, but they were few in number and had never been the Apples’ friends anyway, and were promptly ignored by everypony. Beyond them, a few gossip magazines had printed spuriously informed “EXCLUSIVE SCOOPS” on the “ELEMENT OF HONESTY’S SECRET SHAME” as they tried to cash in on a potentially juicy scandal, but surprisingly enough they all retracted the articles and issued formal apologies soon afterwards (stories told of a huge red stallion showing up at one publisher’s offices and glaring at the pony in charge until the smaller stallion collapsed in a blubbering heap).
By the time the wedding had rolled around it was as if Ponyville had always known and accepted that it would happen. Almost the entire town flocked to the large ceremony/party extraordinaire held in front of Sweet Apple Acres’ barn (organised by, who else, Pinkie Pie), and the young couple spent a joyous afternoon and evening being fawned over by all their well-wishers before retiring, eventually, to their newly fitted out marital bedroom for a well-earned night’s rest… eventually.
The next morning, with happy memories of the night before still vivid in all their minds, the Apples sat in their living room and relaxed, at last, as they finally enjoyed the quiet and peace of Hearth’s Warming together. Applejack had been unsure about fixing the date of their wedding for Hearth’s Warming Eve, but Pinkie had finally brought her around.
“What could be better than spending Hearth’s Warming together as a family, a real family, like how it always should have been?!” she had said, rather passionately, and Applejack couldn’t help but agree as she sat curled up on the sofa beside Macintosh, a comforter over their laps as they watched Apple Bloom play with her presents.
Applejack sighed happily and nuzzled her husband, before reaching out for another unopened card from the little pile beside her. She blinked as she picked it up, surprised at just how heavy it was, and the fact that it was specifically addressed to her. Opening it revealed two items: a card from Nurse Redheart for the whole family, and a smaller, sealed envelope with a folded note attached to it, again with Applejack’s name written across it. She glanced around to see if anypony was watching, her heart in her throat as she read the short note.
Oh my gosh, she didn’t! How did she manage it before the holidays ended? Ah’m gonna have to remember to save her a whole jar of the zap apple jam next season…
With slightly trembling hooves she picked up the envelope, tore it open carefully, and read the test results printed inside.
“It’s funny.” Apple Bloom’s unexpected statement surprised her mother, and the mare hurried to hide the paper in her hooves from sight, stuffing it down the side of the couch as the filly turned to face them. Apple Bloom remained oblivious, although Applejack noticed Big Mac peering at her curiously.
“What is it, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, hoping to throw him off for a few moments by adjusting her position slightly and beckoning to allow Apple Bloom to snuggle in between them. When she was tucked in as well, Apple Bloom considered a moment longer, and then spoke again.
“If ya think about it, this whole thing Ah mean, I kinda lost a brother an’ a sister.” She frowned, turning her head to the left and right to look at both of them very seriously.
“An’ Ah gotta admit Ah ain’t too happy about that, ‘cos y’all were the best brother an’ sister anypony could’ve asked for.” She stopped frowning, though, and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks as she continued: “But Ah’m glad yer really my parents, though. That’s probably the best thing that could have happened to me, even if Ah didn’t take it so well to begin with…” She blushed more deeply, but wasn’t allowed to wallow in shame for any longer than a second as both Applejack and Macintosh leaned in and nuzzled her, each planting a soft kiss on her cheeks as Granny Smith looked on from her rocking chair, a serene smile on her lips.
As Applejack sat up a thought came to her, and she realised what a perfect opportunity she had just been presented with. So, before anypony said anything else, she said this:
“Well, AB, ya might not be without a brother an’ sister fer long.”
“Huh? Whatcha mean?” Apple Bloom tilted her head in confusion, but Macintosh and Granny Smith both opened their eyes wide and sat up straighter as a positively beaming Applejack pulled the results sheet from where she had stuffed it.
“Everypony, Ah’ve got some wonderful news…”
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Crystal Moose · 27k words · 521 10 · 8.4k views
- Crystal Moose · 2.8k words · 487 23 · 9.5k views
- Nagaina · 0 words · 49 4 · 897 views
- AlphaOmega · 3k words · 25 1 · 1.3k views
- Ugly-Duckling123 · 27k words · 54 20 · 1k views
- A Fistful of Apples · 3k words · 229 14 · 6.5k views
- dramatic_spoon · 1.6k words · 149 13 · 3.3k views
- Pink Rocket · 2.6k words · 71 19 · 2.8k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.187 seconds
Total duration
805 users online
1,228,745 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Uh. Another chapter? Out of nothing?
-reading...-
Nice. Can't say it was really THAT awesome, but it was a little nice conclusion nonetheless.
Keep up the good work!
C'mon dude, I already put this story to rest, don't go be resurrecting things now!
Good finish. Excellent story!
Now here's hoping for a sequel
I enjoyed this story and hope to see a sequel.
3700378 I ain't resurrecting, it just wasn't quiiiiite dead before!
3700379 3700406 Uh, there's totally going to be a sequel... in a while... maybe...
pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw835_Applejuke.gif
Lovely Story
witch chapter is the one were they tell her?
Are you su-ure?
In all seriousness, this was an amazing ending, way better than the original.
3700503 I think it was the first one.
3700635 thx ;D
Nice happy little ending. I loved it
That was a delightfully heartwarming story. Nice to read an AppleMac story where they're not actually related, too.
Hmph, usually I'm able to decide whether to go 'Woo, update!' or 'Noo, it ends!' but now, now I just don't know what went wrong. Maybe it's because it's three in the morning. Yeah, that must be it.
Great conclusion, I'll be waiting for more! (You better write some)
I was expecting that.
I was reading this and completely out of nowhere "She's pregnant again." Now this definitely needs a sequel.
A great story.
I doubt they could have handled it any better.
Sequel. Make it happen.
3701041
OMC I want to kiss your OC it's so cute!
--TheRussianBrony
WHAT IS THE NEWS!!! Did AJ finally get her ritalin prescription back?
--TheRussianbrony
3700453 Thank you.
Yes, a thousand times yes! 
3700635 Yes I am, glad you think so.
3700730 Wai thenk yew.
3700779 Every girl with a smokin' hot boyfriend!
3700924 Dem 'cests ain't mah thang.
3701130 But I don't wanna!
3701142 3701213 See above.
3701193 Thank you, and if they could then I certainly don't see how.
3701293 Some men just want to watch the world burn.
3701495 Happy pills all round!
3701665 *Checks Wikipedia and does a spit-take* Holy shitake mushrooms!
3701895
So....no sequel? Damn, just when I was excited. You don't drop the kid bomb and say you won't give the poor bastard at least ONE chapter.
3701938 Pohaps, but if and only if I think of something. Sorry.
3702036
Oh well. Hope ya think of something.
Loved it!
This is what I can say is a real ending.
3701895 no i wasn't ready i need closure please sir may i have another
Sequel I say! And if not...still awesome!
Now that's how you end a story. Have a moustache:
What do you mean "the end"? Now you have to write AJ's new pregnancy, the birth, growing up and everything until that foal gets married, has foals of his/her own, then write the story of these foals and so on and so on...
Or stop right here, that's fine, too.
the ending just screams sequel
3705748 It does, yes, but I'm a bastard.
3703916 Oh you!
3704490 No, you misunderstand, she doesn't actually know, she's just thanking Applejack for taking the place of her mother by caring for her and supporting her. Of course, this proves to be a little unfortunate choice of words and timing...
3706077 is there going to be a sequel ????
3706875 images.wikia.com/mlp/images/a/a8/Pinkie_Pie_%22Make_it_stop!!%22_S2E06.png
Ahem.
Not for now.
Excellent finish. I look forward to the next chapter.
3711733
Thank you.
But... it's finished...
very sweet now a new contest
THE NAMING OF THE TWIN FOALS
I demand a sequel!
I mean... that is... if you want to... *eek!*
3720187 25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5sfn8tEzG1rn95k2o1_500.gif
3719225 You can do this if you want.
:) beautiful story
Amazing.
This story must have a sequel!
3764321 Well I didn't put it there!
Imma go get my skull cracker, back in a bit...
D'awwwww!
Great ending.
Kinda sad to see it go. This was a great story.
3801203 3815007 Thank you.
This.Was.Amazing!!!! 11/10 Pinkies! Holy crap I couldn't stop reading it!
4178625 Well then you have very strange taste, both in literature and icon choice.
(<3)
Sequel to this story without a doubt blessed many people.
Including me.
4221877 Ah how I love to crush your petty mortal feelings beneath my foot.
It'll happen if it happens, dunno if, when, or how that will be.
img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110721000602/gyropedia/images/f/f9/Ponyshrug.gif
4262613 Apparently so, you're the first to bring it up.
Not a bad story,
Funny at the last chapter.
Thanks for writing it.
Read ch1-23 in one sitting
At lest it wasn't insets like I thought.
4760881