When We're Gone

by Summer Daze

What's The Ruckus?

“What’s all the ruckus out there?” Granny Smith asked with a quirked brow, sitting atop a old wooden chair with a baby filly in her hooves.

“Pa is goin' to kill Mac!” Applejack broke out into tears, limping over to her grandma on one hoof.

“Your Pa isn’t goin' to kill anypony.” Buttercup sighed softly, running a slender hoof across her frazzled mane.

“Well that depends. What in Equestria happened? You just tossed a whippersnapper on me and rushed out!” Granny Smith rolled her eyes, a copper filly bawling her eyes out on one hoof and a Baby Bloom drooling over the other.

“AJ here went bucking without permission and found herself pinned down by an old branch.” Buttercup spoke in a sweet tone, her eyes gazing out the open window to the orchard in worry.

“Oh! Well that isn’t worth a killin'.” Granny Smith giggled down to little Applejack with a wink.

“It isn’t?” AJ sniffled, wiping away tears with her small hoof.

“Not at all. But it is worth a whippin', I’m going to get my switch and tan the coat off your little flank.” Granny spoke with an air of seriousness around her.

“Bu..bu...ahh!” AJ burst out into fresh tears, limping off towards her bedroom to hide no doubt.

“I really wish you wouldn't keep doin' that?” Buttercup frowned to her mother in law with a defeated sigh.

“Phst. A little fear never hurt anypony. I did the switch trick with Mac and he turned out just fine.” Smith cuddled the smallest new addition to the family lovingly in her hooves.

“I’m just happy, Mac was so close. If he were uptown I’d hate to think what could’ve happened.” Buttercup felt mist gathering on the sides of her eyes, glancing down in shame.

“Don’t go crumblin' like a Pear! Stay strong and proud like an Apple!” Smith snapped back to the worried mare, her hoof softly stroking the red mane of the tiny yellow filly in her hooves.

“Pa-bear!” Apple Bloom giggled out sweetly, a frown being cast down to her from above.

“Pa-bear ain’t no word! If you want to say anything, say Apple!” Smith narrowed her eyes to the filly.

“Crapple.” She burst out into a fit of giggles, Buttercup walking over and scooping up the baby.

“I’m a little worried about that one.” Smith sighed aloud.

“Well. What do you think?” Buttercup asked Smith with genuine worry.

“Hmm. I thinkin' what I keep sayin'! You two need to hire some Farm Hooves to help out around here!” Smith narrowed those orange eyes to the young mare in anger.

“Smith. We can’t just do that, we are barely making ends meet now.” Buttercup softly cradled her baby in her hooves, the child yawning aloud sweetly as she grew tired.

“Well it ain’t right! A mother should be just that, not a plower and a bucker and a…”

“I’m used to it.” Buttercup cut off Smith with a solemn gaze to her daughter.

“Well I’m not! Hay if anything did happen to any of my babies, I’d skin you both alive!” Smith slid out of her chair and winced a bit.

“My body is startin' to feel like a wreck. I swear you kids aged me horribly.” Smith sighed and walked over to a small statue of a filly hugging a oversized apple.

Twisting off the top of the giant apple, she reached in and took out a large bag of bits in her hooves. Swiftly placing the bag atop the coffee table in front of Buttercup, the mare gasping aloud at such a large collection of bits.

“Go on! Take it!” Smith sighed and walked back to her chair, sliding back in it with ease.

“What!? No we couldn’t, those are your bits.” Buttercup sighed in shame, she could feel her cheeks burning brightly.

“Yer' dang right! What I want to spend them on is you!” Smith rolled her eyes as she flaunted her hoof to the mare.

“But.”

“Just take it and get some help around here! Maybe then I can get some rest, knowing you two ain’t goin to bring down the farm.” Smith smacked her lips softly, flashing Buttercup a stern gaze.

“Thank you.” Buttercup held back tears from cascading down her cheeks, snatching up the bag with her teeth and walking into the back with the baby.

“Welcome...Sugarcube.” Smith whispered to herself, a small smile crossing her lips.

Comments

[Ditzy Doo - Mailmare]

8249860

[PonyUpYourBits]

I'm interested in staking my own claim in this sadfic subject, I just have to get it all together.

[Summer Daze]

8250112

I just let the words flow, if it gets to where I have to force it. Then I rarely get anything done.

Right now I'm just super psyched up.

8250122

You so should.

When you get yours posted, let me know, I'll give it a read.

[Maran]

Pretty good so far. Granny Smith seems a bit harsh, but maybe she never got used to having a Pear in the family. She was generous toward Buttercup in the end, though. I'll be tracking this.

[Summer Daze]

8250594

I'd picture granny a bit so-so with Pear in the family, but down inside really loves her.

Yet seeing her grandbabies and her son happy, she balances being a bit stern with softness.

As Grand Pear said she can be a bit of a Crab Apple at times.

Thank you so much, I read your story as well and enjoyed it.

[Grey Wolf]

“Pa is goin' to kill Big Mac!”

I'm sorry, but this line made me laugh so hard Even though this chapter was short, I liked it even more than the first one! Keep it up, Buttercup! (Rhyme intended)

[Summer Daze]

8250639

Awww. Thank you so much.

I had something similar happen irl. Thought it'd be funny.

Thank you for reading.

[Grey Wolf]

8250764
Would it be okay if you tell me you IRL thing that inspired that line?
Oh, and thanks for stalking me...undead mare

[Foxhelm]

I hope Bright Mac ain't too brutal to Big Mac... although why Big Mac got the name 'Big' is still something that needs to be addressed.

I can only guess he was a fairly large foal at birth, in human terms he'd be in excess of a ten lbs newborn.

[Summer Daze]

8250813
Don't worry Big Mac will be perfectly fine.

I'd think Big Mac would be a term of love, as a growing colt he'd be bigger then his sister, she might've started it as a nickname that stuck and the family loved.

8250791
No problem. A lil haunting never hurt anypony.

Well irl, My sister was supposed to be watching me, instead she just jumped on the phone, I went outside and as a kid kind of walked all the way down the road, jumping in mud puddles and playing around in the tall grass.

Lucky me my mom and dad pulled up, they made me get back in the car and took me home, my dad was on fire that day, steaming mad he yelled for my sister to go to the back room, ( The room where we got punished.)

I was so scared by the way my dad looked, I ran over to my mom crying and said. "Daddy is going to kill Kelly!" Lol. of course he didn't, she just got a huge talking to, grounded and the phone taken away.

But I was really crying, thinking I got my older sister killed.

[Jet Storm]

It's very sweet and definitely worth a thumbs up!

[Summer Daze]

8251087

Why thank you Sugarcube.

[Foxhelm]

8250875
So Big Mac was originally a 'Junior'?

[Summer Daze]

8251149

I bet he was.

[Grey Wolf]

8250875
Haha! You never know what kids minds make up

[Summer Daze]

8251465

Basicly the worst possible things.

[Blast]

Before he could be Big Mac, he had to be Little Mac.

[Fluttercheer]

8249117

Very promising start, I really want to see where this is going. When can we reckon with the next chapter? You're still continuing this, right?

[Boltsinger]

You had me at Buttercup's first appearance. It turned on the feels and added a favorite.