My immortal phoenix.

by Lieral

Chapter 30- Not a kid

Author's Note:

Okay, before we start I think I have a few things to say.
First of all: This is entirely an ApplePie chapter. I was thinking about making this a fanfic of its own, but I am aware that almost no one ship this, and that is why I did not put much of the plot of the fic here, just a thing or two that will be important in the future.
And second: Like I said, I know that almost no one ship this, but please, give it a try.
I think that was all I wanted to say, so, like always, enjoy, leave a comment saying if you like it or not and giving me ideas for future chapters.

There was a cold wind blowing through the morning, or more accurately, through the dawn since the sun had yet to appear on the sky. The rooster also had not even sung, but a pretty blonde girl was already sweating.

Applejack cleaned her forehead with her arm and stretched her back. It was actually a really common sight to see the girl working early in the morning, but today she had risen even earlier than usual.

There was no reason for that. She does not have a date, an obligation or anything like that, she just woke up and without anything better to do she got to work. She had thought about the possibility of making breakfast, but she is very aware that her grandmother enjoys doing this part.

She sat down on a wooden log that served as a bench while watching her pigs feed. These little guys are eating earlier, but they will probably ask for a second round as soon as the sun rises.

She smiled. There is another pink creature she knows that likes to eat just as much as them.

A light suddenly was turned on behind her. Apparently, Apple Bloom had waked up from her sleep too.

She turned her head toward the sky and watched as the many stars start to fade away to the sunlight. She put her hands inside the pockets of her pants and walked toward her orchard. The Apple family is often mistaken as poor thanks to their natural way of living and their ‘unsuitable’ moods, but a single glance at their orchard can make the richest of people get jealous.

The covered area is so big it is divided into sections by their respective geographic position: North, Northeast, South, Southeast, West, and East. And that is talking only about how big their orchard is, but they also are very famous by other products as well: Milk, eggs, wool, and even other fruits… But apparently, they refuse to sell anything that involves killing their animals such as bacon.

And in the middle of this wild area, there is a single spot that everyone agrees it is the best. On the top of a hill located exactly in the middle of it all, there is a single Apple tree where one can see absolutely everything around, and since they live at the margin of Ponyville, there is basically not a single house to ruin the view of the almost literal sea of trees. And watching the sunrise (or sunset) from this place is something unique.

She reached the top just to see that someone else had the same idea.

A man was laying his back against the tree with single hay in his mouth while his hat covers most of his face.

“It always amazes me how fast ya’re to get here,” She sat down by his side and watched as the sun is just starting to appear on the sky.

The boy smiled. “Eyep,” That was all he said.

“How long ya’ve been here?” She asked. “A few minutes, maybe?”

“Eyep,”

“Finished ya’ mornin’ chores?”

“Nope,”

“After sunrise?”

“Eyep,”

“Good,” She hit the tree apparently without making any effort, but it was more than enough for a single apple to fall onto her open hand. She bites it and smiled. “The apples from this tree is always special, isn’t?”

“Eyep,”

“Do ya’ have any idea why?”

“Nope,”

“Neither do Ah,” She bites again. The sun is finally painting the sky with yellow and orange. It was a beautiful view that both siblings simply love, even if they have no idea why. It was just beautiful for them. “When do ya’ think Pinkie Pie is goin’ to come today?”

The boy smiled again. For some reason, Pinkamena Diane Pie ALWAYS shows up at the farm to stay with them for some time. At first, they thought she was going to stop after a few days. But the days have passed and becomes weeks, the weeks become months, and the months finally becomes years and the girl never have failed a single time. She usually shows up around 16:00 and 20:00, and with time the siblings started to bet when she was going to appear from apparently nowhere just like she always does.

“17:00,” Big Mac said what was probably the longest thing he had said all day.

“And Ah’ bet 18:00,” Applejack took his hat and put on her own head. “Thanks,” Her brother stared her apparently displeasing, but after a single second, he shrugged and smiled.

“So Ah’ll bet she’s coming around 19:00,” A third voice spoke and it belongs to a red-haired girl a lot younger than the other two, she was probably around her 12 years old. “Granny Smith asked me to deliver this,” She offered a mug for each one of the two Apples.

“Thanks,” Both Applejack and Big Mac took their respective mugs with a satisfied smile.

“Ah’ dunno how ya guys like this thin’,” Apple Bloom sat by their side. “Juice is much better,”

“If ya say so,” Applejack chuckles. “Well, and what’s today’s big plans?”

“We’re not really doin’ anythin’ today,” Apple Bloom yawn. “Ah’ll do my chores and stay home, but tomorrow we have a party to go. It’s Ponyville’s birthday after all,”

“Ah’ see,” Applejack drank her coffee. “Try not to burn the whole thing down this time,”

“Ah, C’MON!” Apple Bloom retort angered. “That just happened once!” In the end, the siblings’ laughter could be heard from long distances.

---

Working hours and hours without rest is also nothing new for anyone in the Sweet Apple Farm. Big Mac is already finishing digging the tenth hole to plant new seeds. Apple Bloom and Applejack are taking care of today’s harvest and Granny Smith is probably already backing from her job at Canterlot High.

Applejack finished putting the fifth basket below a big apple tree and cleaned her forehead with her arm. A sigh escaped her lips but it was not a bother for her. She gave a single step back and adjusted her posture. She spins her body once getting as much centrifuge force as possible and literally kicked the thickest part of the tree.

The very tree trembled so much that every single apple fell from it somehow right into the baskets with only a few exceptions. She walked toward the few that have fallen outside the baskets and picked them one by one with a smile.

A long time ago Twilight Sparkle had visited her farm for the first time and observed how exactly she harvest her apples, and she did not accept it well. She simply could not believe what she had just saw, something about ‘If we take that this apple tree has a standard radium of 29.28 inches (which seems to be the case) and the standard height of an apple tree it means that the tree would weight something about 5.35 TONS, and to wimble it you have to exert a force of…’ After that Applejack stopped listening.

Honestly, that may be an interesting subject, but it is not very useful for her. She always knew she is far stronger than any girl at her age, but it never was something to boast of, and it was also not nearly her limit. She very often has to be careful with her own strength or else the tree will end up breaking with the impact (which already happened a few times).

And this is also part of the thing. Farming is far more than just being strong or not. She has animals to take care of, barns to fix, seeds to plant and so much more that she is not even capable to make a list… She already tried.

“Applejack, Ah’m comin’ in, what about ya’?” Apple Bloom took one of the many baskets on her arms. Truth be told, given the rest of the family, it is safe to say that the incredible strength runs in the blood.

“Already?” Applejack asked. “Isn’t it a bit too soon?”

“Applejack, it’s almost bedtime,”

“What? It’s not,”

“Eyep,” Big Mac appeared from apparently nowhere and took two of the baskets, one in each arm.

“But how?” Applejack scratched the back of her head. “Ah’ haven’t seen the day passin’ by!”

“It’s probably because ya’ just stops when Pinkie comes,” Apple Bloom started walking away.

“Maybe... And where’s she?” Applejack took the remaining baskets. “Next time tell me when she’s here, Ah’ would hate to leave her without someone to talk,”

“She’s not here,” Apple Bloom said.

“Didn’t ya’ say its bed time?” Applejack stopped.

“Yeah, but she didn’t come today,” The younger sister just shrugged.

“What do ya’ mean she didn’t come? She always comes here,” The older sister shook her head. “She never failed at that,”

“Not today,” Big Mac said the one that was definitely his biggest phrase of the day without looking back.

Applejack resumed her walk a little behind the others. It is not possible. Pinkie Pie is not one to break a tradition like that. Hell, she already said out loud that she ratters make a baby cry than breaking a promise. So, why is everyone so calm about it? Something really serious must have happened. She put the baskets down in their place as she spoke her thoughts.

“Breakin’ a promise?” Apple Bloom chuckled. “When did she promise that?”

“Hum, well…” Applejack scratched the back of her head. Now that she thinks about it Pinkie Pie never made a Pinkie Promise for that. “That’s not the point here, I reckon she comes here every day, so why she’s not here today?”

“Applejack, if ya’re so worried then why don’t ya call her? You have her cellphone, right?”

“Yeah, but Ah never called her before,” They left the barn together and Big mac closed the big doors. “She’s always the one to call me,”

“There’s a first time for everythin’,” Apple Bloom finally cleaned her sweat. “Granny Smith probably is waiting for us. And about Pinkie, maybe she just had a big party to plan today. Isn’t she called to plan international events every once in a while?”

“Yeah, but she always tells us before she goes,” Applejack apparently was having a hard time to let go of the subject. “What if somethin’ happened and she’s hurt right now?” She searched in her cellphone for Pinkie’s number, but she never had been really good at using it so it took her quite a while to find it.

“Sis, ya know we’re talkin’ ‘bout Pinkie Pie, right?” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Nothin’ and no one can hurt her, and she’s not a kid anymore,”

“Eyep,” Big Mac gave a certain nod.

“That may be true in a physical aspect, but she’s really naïve sometimes. What if she got lost?” The blonde girl was furiously slipping her finger through her cellphone. “Why in tarnation this thin’ is so complicated?”

“Lost where?” Apple Bloom opened the door and was the first one to enter inside the kitchen. “G’Night Granny Smith,” She went straight toward the table and sat down on a wooden chair.

“Welcome back kid,” The oldest Apple greeted her grandchildren while filling the table with many different dishes. “Dinner’s ready,” She spoke softly as the three siblings greet her back.

“Great,” Apple Bloom smiled as her brother sat by her side. But apparently, someone was not so eager to have dinner. “Hum, Applejack, where ya goin’?”

“Not hungry right now,” Applejack did not even look at the table and went straight upstairs with her cellphone already on her ear.

“What bite her?” Granny Smith asked while scratching the back of her neck.

“She’s not happy that Pinkie Pie hasn’t shown up today,” Apple Bloom answered already filling her plate as Big Mac just nods.

“Ah see,” Smith took off the apron she was wearing and walked toward the door.

“Where's is ya goin’?” Apple Bloom asked with her mouth filled with food.

“Ah’m just doing my job,” Smith winked once and followed her granddaughter.

“… What job?” Apple Bloom asked and Big Mac’s only answer was a shrug.

---

Some people think that being a grandmother is an easy task. After all, the parents take all the hard parts, so, all the grandparent have to do is to spoil the kid as much as possible, right?

They could not be more wrong. There is so much more than that that is simply impossible to describe it under normal occasions.

And when there are no parents anymore to take care of some hard parts, then it is all up for the grandmother. Granny Smith knocked the door to Applejack’s room twice before opening it slowly. “May ah?”

She entered the room with confident steps. The lights are off but it was no bother for her. Despite her personality, Applejack’s room is so clean that it is simply impossible to trip on something. But there was a single light in the entire room.

“C’mon,” Applejack pressed a button on her cellphone again and put it on her ear. “Why ya’re not answerin’?”

“Maybe ‘cause she’s sleepin’,” Granny Smith sat down on Applejack’s bed finally getting her attention.

“Oh, Sorry Granny Smith, haven’t seen ya comin’ in,” Applejack scratched the back of her head. “Can Ah help ya?”

“Well, Ah think ya got somethin’ bothering ya,” The oldest Apple looked at the ceiling without much interest. “Ah thought maybe ya might want to share,”

“It’s nothin’, really,” Applejack lowered her phone and pressed it a few times again before lifting it toward her ear again. “Ah’m just worried about Pinkie Pie,”

“Why?”

“’ Cause she hasn’t shown up today,” Applejack stood up with a jump and walked back and forth in front of her bed. “Ah just dunno why those two are so calm about it,”

“Maybe ‘cause Pinkie Pie isn’t a kid,” Smith observed the big wooden spoon with apparently great interest.

“AH KNOW SHE’S NOT A KID!” Applejack turned off her cellphone exasperated. Why it seems like everyone is treating her as a kid?

“Do Ya?”

“Do Ah what?” Applejack asked.

“Ah’m asking if ya really know she’s not a kid anymore,” Smith stared her granddaughter with her arms comfy on top of her lap.

“Is that some kind of joke?” Applejack raised an eyebrow. She met Pinkie Pie so long ago that there is no way she is seeing her as a kid. It’s almost the same as saying she sees Rarity or Rainbow Dash as a kid. It’s ridicule.

“No, it’s not little girl,” Granny Smith suddenly assumed a fiery tone of voice. “Ya thought ‘bout so many different things that might have happened with her, but do ya ever thought she could simply be with a new boyfriend and doesn’t want to be bothered by anyone now?”

“With a boyfri…” Applejack froze on the spot with her cellphone halfway to her ear again. For some reason just finishing this sentence seems to be impossible for her. She felt as if there is sand on her mouth and her guts apparently decided it is a good time for a rodeo. She shakes her head a few times and forced a smile. “She definitely doesn’t have a boyfriend,”

“Why ya’re so sure?” This time Smith was the one to lift an eyebrow.

“She would have told me,” Applejack stomped hard. “And why she would want a boyfriend?” She did not even saw her grandmother moving, but within a second she was in front of her eyes and hit her head with the wooden spoon REALLY hard. “OUCH! WHAT’S THAT FOR?”

“Maybe she wants a boyfriend because she’s tired of waiting for a hard head that insists on treating her like a child,” Smith barely kept herself from yelling.

“What ya’re talking about?” Applejack asked while trying to ease the pain on her head. “Do ya think she already has her eyes on someone?” This phrase was also extremely hard for her to finish, and not because of the headache.

“Oh goodness,” Granny Smith massage her temples trying to keep her posture. “Sometimes Ah wonder how come ya so stupid,”

“Hey,”

“Not now little girl,” She walked back and forth while always maintaining eye contact. “Why in tarnation ya think that beautiful girl kept comin’ here every single day for years? To eat apples? Ah don’t think so,”

“What?”

“Ah’m sayin’ that maybe she finally gave up waiting for someone that insists in her mistakes and ignored what so many others already know, that she’s one of the prettiest and quite literally the sweetest girl in the entire continent and that she deserves to be with someone that actually cares with her feelings,”

“AH CARE BOUT HER FEELINGS!” This time Applejack yelled back.

“And who said I was talkin’ ‘bout ya?” Smith’s simple phrase apparently hit her granddaughter with the strength of a punch. “What Ah’m saying is that if ya don’t want to end up seein’ her by the back while she walks away with someone else ya should have acted long ago kid,”

Applejack’s eyes suddenly could not keep itself stopped. She was rapidly eying everything around her room in a single second, almost as if she was looking at different remembrances inside her head. Her legs are suddenly too weak to keep herself on feet. She put a hand on top of her head and walked toward her bed while using everything in her way to keep her balance.

Smith sighed and walked until she stops in front of her grandchild. She turned her look toward the window and saw a lonely apple tree on top of a small hill. “Do ya know that this is one of the oldest trees here?”

The minimum part of Applejack’s brain that still works followed her gaze toward the tree she had been during the sunrise with her siblings. Giving the size and eight of the said tree, of course, she knew it was one of the oldest trees around, but she had no idea how come this could be a piece of useful information.

“That tree was planted by my Grandpa. There he asked to marry my Grandma. And there my dad asked my mom in marriage. And there ah’ asked your grandpa to marry me,” She smiled at the thought. “And was also where your dad asked your mother to marry him. That tree has a story of happy moments, and thanks to your parent’s story it also became known as the tree of reunion. Ah’ would be very happy if one of my grandchildren keeps this tradition going on,” She finally turned her back and walked toward the door. “G’night kid, rest a little. Tomorrow is Poniville’s foundation’s party, maybe ya should give ya head some time to think.

She closed the door finally killing the last light of the room, but Applejack did not move to turn another light on.

---

“Hum, no offense sis, but you look… Horrible,” Apple Bloom could not help but say it out loud.

“Well, Ah haven’t the best night of sleep,” Applejack was using her hat to keep a little attention off her greatly messed hair, but the dark rings under her eyes could not be disguised even by Rarity’s best makeup.

They walked through the streets of Ponyville after the daily chores being done. It is almost time for the main events of the foundation party to start and it seems like everyone in town is present.

She had to greet with a smile many of her old school friends as she passes by, and Apple Bloom apparently have even more friends than the usual two girls that are part of the crusaders (or ‘troublemakers’ like Applejack usually calls them) and she went to talk with them.

She saw a girl with blue hair walking through the crowd holding the hand of a girl with a big violoncello on her back walking toward the many game stalls. Honestly, there is quite some time since she had spoken with Vinyl and Octavia, but they are not the priority right now.

She had stayed all night thinking about her conversation with Granny Smith, and the only conclusion she had come into is that she deserves a serious punch on the guts for being so stupidly blind for so long about Pinkie’s feelings toward her… And about her own feelings too…

“Hey, are those games?” A voice Applejack listened just once asked amidst the crowd. “Can we go there?”

“I don’t know,” This voice was far more familiar. “I think you can get a little competitive with things like that,”

“C’mon, it wasn’t my fault,” Sunset Shimmer complained rolling her eyes.

“You made a boy on the other side of the world cry after an online battle,” Twilight massaged her temples.

“He really should turn off his headset…” Sunset scratched her head a little ashamed. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t play festival games,”

“Had you ever went to any other festival in your life?” Twilight asked.

“No, never,” Sunset looked at her roommate with puppy eyes. “No one wanted me to take part in it,”

Twilight groaned once. It is really hard to say no against Sunset’s really sad arguments. “Fine, we’re going to play a game or two,”

“YES!” Sunset bounced in place victoriously.

“Hey, Twilight,” Applejack’s voice caught the two girls’ attention. “Howdy ya, today?”

“Applejack,” Twilight smiled from ear to ear. “I’m so happy to see you here,” The two girls shared a hug and Twilight (that is also the smaller of them) turned her face up to see the cowgirl better. “Wow, you’re horrible,”

“Ah guessed that much,” Applejack gave a tired smile. “What Ah wanted to know is have ya seen Pinkie Pie ‘round here?”

“Yes,” Twilight said with a smile.

“Seriously?” That was easy. “Where?”

“She was talking with mistress Cake a while ago,” Sunset said and pointed a direction. “She’s probably somewhere there,”

“Thanks,” Applejack gave a respectful nod. “Ah’m sorry for botherin’ ya, but Ah have to go now,” She barely heard their answer as Spike joined the group and ran toward the pointed direction.

That is it. Now she is certain that Pinkie Pie is here, so now she will simply going to find here and slip out. Granny Smith is right about many things, and the main one is that Pinkie already tried for long enough to get something out of Applejack, and now is time for the farm girl to take the stupid lead.

She walked through the sea of people with a lot of difficulties. There are at least a thousand people gathered at the center of the town now, and she never had been really good with crowds, but she did not let it slow her down. She has a reason to be here.

A reason that was not far from her now.

She stopped as soon as she had seen that pink and unmistakable hair talking with someone close to a big stadium where some kind of show is going to happen. She was apparently giving orders to a boy that ran toward the other side of the stage and started to talk with a girl that had appeared just as fast as the boy had left.

And suddenly Applejack’s plan seemed completely stupid in her head. What exactly she expected? What exactly she was going to say, to do? She had no idea and her brain apparently is not in the mood to help her right now. “Pinkie Pie,” And yet, somehow she managed to say these two words out loud.

“Applejack?” Pinkie Pie turned to see her friend with a smile. “Wow, you look horrible,”

An awkward giggle escaped Applejack’s lips. A giggle that transformed into a controlled chuckle when Pinkie closed the distance between them. “Ah guess ya’re right,” she said. “Probably to match the mess in my head,”

“What mess?” Pinkie innocently asked. “Oh, now that I think about it, I had been so busy preparing this event that I haven’t gone to your farm yesterday, did I?”

“Nope,” Applejack simply answered. “But Ah’m glad ya didn’t,”

“You are?” Pinkie asked surprised. Her face lost some of the colors and her smile disappeared taking with it some volume of her usually puffed hair. “Why, have I done anything wrong?” Some tears appeared on the corner of her eyes.

“NO! Ya didn’t do anything wrong,” Applejack said fast. “Honestly, ya never do… But Ah did, for much longer than I should,” She took a deep breath. “Ah think Ah was just too stupid to stop treating you like a kid,”

“What you’re talking about?”

“Look Pinkie,” She took her hat off her head and took another deep breath as a giant wave of blood let her face blushing so much it was hard to say if she was just blushing or having a really strong fever. “Ah’ was an idiot plain and simple,”

“What?” The smaller girl asked.

“All these year ya’ve been visiting us I barely thought ‘bout why ya did that. And Ah simply assumed ya would always be there and Ah could ask later but…” She scratched her chin with a finger. "When Ah couldn’t find ya yesterday Ah noticed something. Ya weren’t going there just to spend some time eating apples, do ya?

Probably for the first time in her life Pinkie Pie blushed enough for her skin not to be enough to hide it. “Please, correct me f Ah’m being stupid, but ya was going there just for… Me, right?”

Pinkie looked away. Also for the first time in her life, she is without words. Her throat seemed like it wants to make a ball went down at once and her eyes suddenly focused on the ground.

There was no answer, only the loud sound from everyone around continued as the two girls tried to look at everything except each other.,

A loud explosion on the skies cut their silence like a knife. Both of them turned toward the sky in time to see another explosion happening. “My fireworks shouldn’t be fired now,” That was all Pinkie said. And suddenly she felt something that makes her spine shiver. A hand. Applejack gently held her hand without taking her eyes away from the sky.

Pinkie blushed deeply again. She looked at the taller girl confused for a second but every line of thoughts was ripped off again, and this time for something even more unexpected. Applejack touched her face with her left hand and pressed her lips against Pinkie’s.

Pinkie observed wide-eyed for a second. Applejack was closing her eyes with so much force that a line of sweat was running down her face, but this is honestly not important. The pink-haired girl finally closed her eyes and kissed the object of her dreams with everything she had. She let go of Applejack’s hand and hugged her neck with force adding even more fire to their already blazing faces.

A few more fireworks exploded before they finally parted their lips. Applejack opened her eyes as soon as Pinkie let go of her neck and she still observed a single tear running from Pinkie’s right eye.

She put her hat back and tried to hide her face below it. “Well, that was somethin’,”

“Huhum,” Pinkie agreed and turned her gaze toward the sky again. “It was… Something,”

“Hehe,” Applejack chuckled. “If that’s the best we can come with then we’re definitely not that good with this dating stuff,” She held Pinkie’s hand again. “But Ah definitely can give it a try,”

“Eyep,” Pinkie smiled. They stayed there until the last firework stopped just enjoying their company.

“Hey, Pinkie,”

“What’s up?”

“That may sound awkward, but I tried to call ya a lot of times yesterday, why ya didn’t answer any of them?” Applejack managed to ask despite her blush.

“Oh, it’s because Gummy accidentally ate my cellphone,” Pinkie shrugged.

“Who?” Applejack asked.

“My new pet! Do you remember Jeff, the crocodile?” She bounced a few times. “You know, the one that followed Sunset across all city while she follows me around all the city? Well, he had a kid that is now my personal pet. He’s toothless and really cute, but more importantly, he’s far more intelligent than he wants people to think,” She said all that without even stopping to breath.

“…” Applejack stared her for a few seconds. “Said what now?”

Comments

[LEGION55]

And that's how Pinkie got Gummy.

[Lieral]

9705980
Yes it is... At least here. I really would like to see this story on the show.

[LEGION55]

9706078
Same.

[Maldarach]

Your ship chapter was ok, I didn't feel out of the actual story.

Even if the latest special, Sunset's Backstage Pass begs to differ with all the SunsetPie shipping fuel that happened ^^ 💛🍬❤ (which makes me almost thinking it is better than Sunlight).

[Lieral]

9708566
SunsetPie is a really cute ship, even if I have not seen this special yet.
And I am REALLY glad you enjoyed at least a little. It just makes my day.