Peanut Gallery

A Thousand Words592 stories ·232 members

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What happens when you die?
Is there Paradise? Or Oblivion?
Are your loved ones there with open arms? Or everyone you ever wronged eager for their pound of flesh?

When it's Applejack's time to go, she learns that the truth is both far worse (and far better) than she could have ever imagined.

An entry for the Thousand Words II contest in the "Slice of Life" category.

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Comments ( 10 )

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Mystic Sunrise

Mystic Sunrise #1 · Jul 4th, 2023 · 2 · ·

. Now you gotta do one for all of the Mane 6. This is just too perfect.

Piemaster128

Piemaster128 #2 · Jul 4th, 2023 · 1 · ·

Awwwww
Now I kind of want to see the rest of the mane six.

Thought Prism

Thought Prism #3 · Jul 5th, 2023 · 1 · ·

Dying would be simultaneously sweet and mortifying if it actually happened like this.

Chaosreverent

Chaosreverent #4 · Jul 6th, 2023 · · ·

So this is like the happy science style afterlife? Hopefully without all the toxic positive.

overdue

overdue #5 · Jul 6th, 2023 · 1 · ·

it's a shame that she can't see her friends because they're not related

Bicyclette

Bicyclette #6 · Sep 18th, 2023 · 2 · ·

All the stories and books had lauded it as a deeply introspective instant to reflect on her life one last time before the end. Not one had ever said that she'd have to sit through the whole thing in real time.

oof yeah, that is a very different experience!

The second worst thing about dying was finding out that the spirits of all her dead family got to watch along with her in a ghostly amphitheater.

oh no. that could get awkward real fast

Hugging her Momma again. Getting her mane tousled by Pa.

aww!

Because the very worst thing about dying was how the film reel of her life was narrated by her own internal monologue, played back in constant stream-of-thought.

oh no, oh no

Her momma rubbed soothing circles on her back. “Don’t let them get to you, sugarcube. We’ve all gone through it. Ain’t nothing you could say, think, or do we haven’t seen before.”

hoowee, those words are gonna come back to bite her

What kind of fancy things would she like? A poem? Ah could probably write a poem. 'You’re as pretty as a tree of apples, as dainty as… as a… very small apple… apples…'
Even her momma winced at that.

ahaha

“Two outta ten, don’t quit your day job!”

very Statler and Waldorf

A sleepover… in the same bed?! What if the thunder scares her and she grabs… oh no. Ah ain’t gonna catch a wink of sleep tonight!

hoowee

“Nah, it ain’t happening. My money’s on her and the shy one. Them’s got real chemistry there.”

underrated ship, i agree!

Wait, he's married.
“Howdy, Mr. Pie!”
“...Well. She ain't wrong.”

ahaha oh i absolutely love this

“I do pray we might move past this trifling infatuation soon,” Great-great-great-great-aunt Crabatha Apple sighed. “Our many-times descendant hast far better prospects than some spindly-legged, soft-hooved, needlemare.”

hey that soft-hooved needlemare is the most amazing and beautiful pony to ever grace Equestria, thank you very much! (also totally stealing this)

“Hey!” Applejack snapped, “Distant kin or not, you don't talk about her like that! That's my w—”

so true, love Applejack saying “that’s my wife”

“Eh, not much of a spoiler,” said the tiny lilac-maned filly—nine years old yet half the size she should have been—that had clambered atop Applejack’s head on day one and rarely descended since. "I do reckon I know how it's gonna turn out."

oof, implications!

“...All Apples. Right.” A stain of melancholy loss tarnished her golden contentment as she too passed into blissful light and warmth.

augh my heart

“Applejack?” that sweet voice whispered in disbelief. Her eyes trailed up and she gasped. “B-Black Diamond?”
“Momma!” A weight launched itself from Applejack’s head.
“I told ya,” Pa’s voice whispered in her ear. “All Apples make it here.”

auaugh i love it so much

well my heart is just about to burst after this one. thank you so much for writing it, this was wonderful. i loved it so much!

FanOfMostEverything

FanOfMostEverything #7 · Sep 18th, 2023 · 2 · ·

All the stories and books had lauded it as a deeply introspective instant to reflect on her life one last time before the end. Not one had ever said that she'd have to sit through the whole thing in real time.

To quote Terry Pratchett:
“I thought my life would flash before my eyes first.”
It did. That’s called living.

Because the very worst thing about dying was how the film reel of her life was narrated by her own internal monologue, played back in constant stream-of-thought.

Oh. Oh no.

Lovely work, equal parts hilarious and humiliating by proxy. It takes a dab hand to make cringe comedy that doesn’t feel cruel to enjoy, and you pulled that off quite skillfully. The sweet ending is the perfect palate cleanser… though the presence of the couple’s daughter raises some concerning questions.

Still, delightful stuff. Thank you for it and congrats on the honorable mention.

Hobbestc

Hobbestc #8 · Nov 4th, 2023 · · ·

This was all very cute. But the idea that they had a filly that died that young is a bummer. Good thing the relationship survived it. Great story!

Loganberry

Loganberry #9 · Dec 19th, 2023 · · ·

Hello! I read all the stories in this contest that won recognition, so here's a review. A nice hook in the opening line, and a very interesting concept. I did wonder whether the sheer size of the Apple Family might lead to even worse problems, but I guess that would be for a longer fic. Easily upvoted, anyway.

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