Dearest Applejack

by ShadowSprint

Celestial Year 1060

Sweet Apple Acres, Equestria
Celestial Year 1060

My Dearest Granddaughter Applejack;

Firstly, I ought ta thank you for sending the money that you have. It’s done helped us out quite a lot since the infestation of those dang vampire fruit bats. The little devils spilled outta the west orchard and into our other fields! That sweet darling friend of yours, Fluttershy has done her best to put them back where they belong. But I’m afraid the little rascals are just a pine too much for her. They’s got numbers more than anything we’ve ever seen, and it don’t look to be getting any better I’m afraid. I reckon we’ll lose probably a third, maybe half the apple crop to those things. Shame too. Apple Bloom and Big Mac have been working their tails off trying to keep up with the devils. And yer friend Rainbow Dash has been a shootin around trying to save her share of the cider. Sadly, I don’t think we’ll make any this go-around.

Speaking of Apple Bloom, her little newspaper club got themselves into a bit’o hot water again. They been snooping around their teacher’s house going on about some story or another. I don’t rightly know what about, but Ms. Cheerilee came over angrier than a bull in a bed of thistles. Suppose kids will be kids. Least that never changes. Had to keep myself from splitting a gut when I saw her stomping on over.

It been only a month since ya left us here, and we a missing you already. I suppose you found yourself a good job with the money you’re sending us. It’s catching us up on the bills, and helping ta fix up the equipment that them bats ruined. But make sure ya keep some for yerself. Don’t want no granddaughter of mine livin out in the cold. Just hope ya aren’t working in one of those danged old mines I used ta always here about. Those things are plum dangerous for earth ponies, and they work ya to the bone too.

With any luck, this’ll only be a temporary thing and you can come back ta us soon Applejack. We all love you here, and greatly miss the hard-working pony that ya grew into. You stay outta trouble and keep those ears clean.

Your grandma,
Granny Smith

Author's Note:

Here is the first chapter in a series of rather short little letters. They will all be around this length, maybe a bit longer, maybe a bit shorter. I'll be posting one letter a week until Christmas when things wrap up. Would've posted fewer but had to get at least 1,000 words so here we are. I wasn't too sure on genres or tags with this, so if you have suggestions, feel free to let me know.

Also, we don't seem to have an official "calendar" for Equestria, so after some searching around online, I came up with the notation you see in the chapter titles and of course in the chapters themselves. The intention is that the calendar "started over" after Celestia defeated Nightmare Moon with the Elements of Harmony roughly 1000 years ago.

Hope everyone enjoys! Thanks for reading!