Twilight floated a second fritter up to her mouth when she realized the first was gone. “What is in these things?” “Mostly love. Love ‘n about three sticks of butter.”
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Applejack is a very old pony, and the last Element of Harmony left alive. On the sunny day of her last friend's funeral, she shows Princess Celestia that a lifetime of magic is more powerful then grief.
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DbzOrDie said that no one could write a fic that wasn't sad about one of the mane 6 being the last one left alive. So I tried to do it. He says I succeeded.
(Oh, and all of the granddkids were just for flavor, but if you really care: Pink Lady is Big Mac and Fluttershy's granddaughter, Beau Mane is Rarity's grandson, Giggles is Pinkie's granddaughter, Twinkle Star is Twilight's great-granddaughter, Red Rocket is AJ and Dash's grandson, and Rainbow Grace is their great-granddaughter. There's obviously a generation of kids unmentioned, and more granddkids, but the idea was just to show that everypony was there in spirit.
Ginger Gold is Apple Bloom's grandson, and Quick Shot is Scootaloo's granddaughter, but the CMC are still alive. In case you were wondering.)
D'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Amazing story,. Liked and faved. If I could like it all over again, I would.
I would have preferred not knowing who AJ married, but I guess Dashie is fine... I guess. I'm really not sure how it worked out that they could have genetic kids and grandkids, but whatever. Magic.
Really mantear enducing, I'm giving this a green thumb. Because red thumbs are for haters. And one hint at a F/F ship isn't going to keep me from denying mantears.
d'awwww
You astound me.
This isn't a story about ponies. It's a story about life, loss, love. A little something that everyone will hopefully get a chance to see later in their lives. Yes, it is hard sometimes, but at the end of the day... isn't there always something to live for?
Good job. And, of course, looking through the eyes of our beloved equines, the story only grows more personal.
Carry on, bookplayer, as you know, I'll continue to loyally follow.
the comments speak for themselves Bookplayer, some people DO find it tear-inducing
You failed
942823 hold on now, it's raining outside!
awwww... my computer's all wet...
Didn't I already do this?
942726
Oops. . . guess it is sad. Glad it's cute too, though.
942738
Aww, thank you!
942803
Maybe I should have sad tagged it, with all the mantears going on around here.
And while I personally ship AJ and Dash, the only thing stated in the story is that Dash and AJ have the same grandkids, and that AJ thought Dash's mane was pretty. If you prefer to think of it as AJ's kid marrying Dash's kid, you're more then welcome to!
942804 942807
More tears! I'm glad it touched you.
If you set out to make this story "not sad" I'm sorry to tell you, but you have failed.
You did however succeed in "not desperate." which is an achievement in itself.
The difference between the two is hope, and that's exactly what AJ presents here. Even after she has lost her friends she can still see their legacy in their children and grandchildren.
I'm a bit disappointed with the princess though. Simply telling AJ that she is proud of her for her strength should have been enough.
Or are you tring to make a point with it? Maybe even the point that bugs me the most?
"Wisdom is Just Being Old"? I beg to differ! There are quite a number of old, but foolish people.
942817
Thank you. There are so many "crying over graves" stories out there. While they're beautiful, I know elderly people and most of them don't spend a lot of time crying on their friends, or even family's graves, so I wanted to show that.
942823
Hey, you're the one who told me it wasn't sad!
942904
I have no idea? Looking at your stories I don't see any with AJ, so I'm guessing you mean a similar take on the idea? I know last of the mane six left is a pretty popular genre, I'd love to see something you might have done that's similar.
943001
I guess the "not desperate" means that I avoided the "crying on graves" genre? I'll take that.
And I think my reasoning with the princess and the title are the same. Yes, there are a lot of very foolish elderly people. But every one of them, even the most foolish, has lived through more then the smartest 30 year old. There is a certain amount of a certain kind of wisdom that comes from just having watched the world change, watched children grow up, watched people your own age start to die naturally. A lot of young people dismiss that, because the older people seem foolish and being old seems scary and weird when you're not old yourself.
And I actually think that's the cause of a lot of the "desperate" fics- they're written by people who are scared of old age. They make it this villain that's bound to win in the end. But the wisdom that comes to anyone who gets old is that it's just another part of life, with friends to make and family to love and jobs to do.
943025 It was midnight and I was reading on a technical level
It clouded my judgement
I love it. There was such a sense of regality to it, dignity and grace to it.
I love simple-headed "wisdom" like AJ espouses. It's wrong. But sometimes it's all folks have when they haven't got the right answers.
Good show all around. Loved the grandkids. Good for Apple and Rainbow. Magic and determination will conquer biology no matter what
943025 Actually, it's not a story in it of itself. It's easier to show than to explain.
You know what? I don't think it's possible for me to not tear up when I just *think* about ponies dying. I can't comment on how sad this was because of that.
I will say that this was excellently written and it was certainly very nice to read a story that breaks the stereotypical last-pony-alive fic. You definitely succeeded in giving it a happier ending.
And I've noticed a bunch of ponies-have-died fics lately (I know, I know, I'm part of the problem). I wonder why that is. Maybe inspiration passed around?
Amazing. That is all.
942982 That would actually improve this fic for me greatly. Everyone drawing their own conclusions as to who went with who is definitely something anyone can enjoy. I personally would have shipped Soarin' with RD and Caramel with AJ, as I'm strictly M/F (I'd find it strange if we made their society be so similar to ours to the point that even ponies wouldn't be entirely hetero. I'm really weird in the head like that, but what can you do?).
942823
I only cried because of the about section. The chapter was fine.
Wait, how did Dash and Applejack have children?
Did Twilight use magic on one of them?
I'm so ...in feel... That I can't think of anything to say except good job.
I can kind of see why this doesn't have a Sad tag.
Proofread by the amazing DbzOrDie.
Come now, you're making my ego swell up
Before I know it I'll have a bunch of friends prancing about as mare-do-wells
This story really touched my heart in a very sad, but thankful, way. I love how this story turned out, and I have to admit, I was a bit confused about who's children were what. It's okay though, I will figure it out some day, but that was a magnificent lesson to learn. I wish I could have listened to my grandparents, but now one is on the verge of dying, and I think we will be see her soon. My grandfather, however, I haven't heard from in years, and I don't know if he's dead or alive. After reading a story like this, what I wouldn't give to hear all the stories about life they had to offer. Thank you so very much! You are, truly, a magnificent writer, and I wish you the best of luck to keep up the good work!
From hell, to you, and back again,
Soto Konoha
If all of the Elements of Harmony were to reach their time, I've always thought that AJ would be the last one to go. As for the story, BEAUTIFUL!
Those last words really touched my heart. Applejack's such a caring pony. You portrayed her character well.
You made my day good sir! 
Thank you, in addition, for the clarification of the grandchildren. Though I wasn't too curious until I read about Red ROcket and Rainbow Grace bu then I read "Red Rocket is AJ and Dash's grandson, and Rainbow Grace is their great-granddaughter." You added AppleDash!
Sooo sad
, but so beautiful
Did Fluttershy died before Pinkie Pie, even if Fluttershy is older en her
957981
Yeah. I feel as though earth ponies probably live longer then other types- they tend to be sturdier. That's just my head canon.
957991 You probably right
Smiling through my tears. That is what I am doing.
I think you got AJ to a tee. I can imagine her being a wise old mare, as the element of honesty, the simple truths of the world would have a hard time evading her.
You, my friend, are a great writer.
Gorgeous. We need more of these happy end-of-life stories. This one is far more like her than any other story I've read.
!
A.J., I share your views.
Both the author and A.J. get a
Well done.
Oh, and as a P.S., you actually made me forget I personally disapprove of AppleDash.
957991
This was the last story of yours I read. I put it off because these "last pony standing" stories tend to be little more than an attempt to make the reader cry, a sad piece of fluff where the writing is nothing more than a mechanism to deliver an emotion. I for one am in touch with my emotions just fine, so I prefer reading stories that have an actual story to them. If I laugh or cry or angst or rage along the way then that was a reaction to the overall piece, and to me those feel more genuine. So I put this one off to the end... but that means I've read your other stories too. I should have known better, because this was fantastic. Couple individual things I was thinking in case you're curious:
<<“Ya' know, a while ago she said to me, 'Dying's easy, comedy's hard.>>
As appropriate an apothegm as I've ever heard for Pinkie Pie. The stream of conscious elaboration after the fact sold the laugh. Also, not sure why I'm thinking this since the quote is not attributed to him, but for some reason I'm now thinking that Pinkie would have been an Oscar Wilde fan.
<<In the air overhead, Rocket Red, Applejack's youngest grandson, was having a flying race with Quick Shot, one of Scootaloo's grandkids. >>
I don't know if you intended it this way or not, but one of the things I really enjoyed about the descriptions of all these progeny was that they're all grandkids and great grandkids. Aside from casual references there's nothing in this story about sons and daughters, other than the nameless mare that hands Rainbow Grace to AJ but she herself is a granddaughter. And that just reminds me so much of Applejack. Herself, her siblings, and her granny growing up on the farm. The reversal of the role now, where she tells stories to the young'uns, the symbolism, whether intentional or not, was my favorite moment in this piece.
<<“Well when Gran Dash got Tank is an important part of Tank's history.” Ginger Gold nodded to where the old tortoise was napping under a tree. >>
You know, if I ever got off my ass to write again, and if I ever felt urge to fully flesh out a "last character standing" story, I'd probably make it about Tank. Not just due to a tortoise's natural longevity. There's something in that personality of his that gives me pause to think. He's got this, I don't know, zen-like quality to him though that could just be because he's slow at everything he does and I'm getting it mixed up with methodical. But I have wondered how things are viewed through his eyes, given his countenance, his unflagging loyalty, his time spent under the wing of the self-titled fastest flyer in Equestria, etc.
<<She had a thing or two to tell every pony out there, if they'd listen.>>
AJ always does like finishing a job before moving on to the next one. I follow the words of advice from my grandparents today, though I didn't yesterday when they were alive. Those lessons and stories will go on to my kids when they're ready tomorrow. Helps keep the family immortal, never really gone, never really forgotten.
<<She figured she'd cried them all, and all that was left was to enjoy the love and life she still had.>>
Like I said, you did a great job handling a somber moment without making it sad, instead you made it about the joy of life. There's depth and spirit and some nice character interaction between AJ and Celestia. No tears, but a whole lot of smiles from me while I read this!
1080359
I find it funny that you saved this for last, thinking it's another entry in what I call the "crying over graves" genre. This was actually written as a response to those, and I wonder how many people might have skipped it for that reason. I read a few of them, but I work as a caretaker for my grandmother (and grandfather until very recently) and was very close to my great-grandmother growing up, and none of them, or their elderly friends, spent a lot of time crying on graves. In fact, I've always found Granny Smith to be a fairly accurate representation of the elderly people I've been close to.
I never thought about how using only the grandkids and great grandkids echoed the Apple family, but now that you mention it I'm thrilled I did it that way. I was mainly concerned with showing how the families that the mane six made for themselves and each other would make sure that none of them were ever truly alone at the end, and dealing with children would have put the focus much more on the pairings I imagined or made up for them. (Even then someone complained about my implied AppleDash. I had to point out that I only said that AJ and Dash share grandchildren, so those who don't like AppleDash are free to imagine that it was their children who paired up.)
I'm so glad you found it joyful. So many people said that they cried, but I truly intended for it to be a celebration of how the same lessons they learned that made them good friends were likely to make old age comfortable and happy for the mane six, even the last one left.
Nailed it. Great job.
Bloody hell, that was incredible.
Good read, this. A little sad, yeah, but Applejack's outlook on life was so uplifting throughout. In general, it was a very positive, even inspiring tale. Great work.
Okay. OKAY. I admit it.
Applejack is best pony.
For today.
Beautiful, just beautiful.
Very beautiful.
There's nothing that depresses me more than reading about people getting old and dying.
Well played.
step 1: visit bookplayer's page
step 2: read another fic
step 3: fav it
This happens every time. You've never written a story I haven't enjoyed. Can't say that about most people, even myself. This reminds me a lot of the story Dead Pony Flying in terms of theme and how it deals with death, which is a great story I'd suggest reading if you havent
But anyhoo, you nailed it once again. That's why you're my favorite!
2705097
When I was almost done reading this, I realized that I had favorited every story I have read from Bookplayer; on top of that I knew this would be going to the same folder. It figures that the first comment I saw would be of step by step instructions on how to spend the rest of my night. I mean, I tend to be pretty frugal with my favorites since the only stories that go there are the best ones I know I will read several more times, so Bookplayer is definitely doing something right here.
I haven't gotten to many of the longer stories yet, but I am so far very impressed with the style, characterizations, and especially the endings of these stories.
Stories where members of the main six die are usually hit and miss for me, not because I am against the idea of the possibility of them dying, but because so few people know how to do those stories well. You understand how to portray characters and express ideas very well here. I love the way you handled pinkie's funeral it was an important part of setting up the story, you easily moved it to the background when it was time to move on, but it stayed there in the background through the story as something important. Furthermore, you portrayed her funeral the way I usually feel it should be. I have always wanted to live the kind of life where people would be comfortable telling a joke at my funeral and knowing that it was in honor of my memory, so I liked seeing that you saw the value in such an ideal.
I am still not quite sure what led me to search for appledash today, but I am so glad it did since the search led straight to your page.
pink caskit that is all
and this is why I love AJ so much. such an excellent story. one of the few stories that made my eyes water but still kept a smile on my face
Sad, yet hopeful at the same time... and it reminded me a lot of my grandfather. Beautiful story Book!
I tried not having feels, but.....god dangit! DEM FEELS!!
Didn't cry. You succeeded.
My only complaint is that I can like and favorite only once.
[And the wings of his grandma dash]
Me: Fuck...No... This is a horrible, overused lesbian ship that is overal disgusting... Just... No.
That was great man, novels like this make me scared of death and, at the same time, accept death. This is going in my favorites, so whenever I'm down, depressed, and/or scared of death i'll read it and then, just sit and smile, because of you, ill wake up remembering that line,
Thank you for this, thank you. I'm going to sit back now and just smile.
Sit back and smile.