The Life You're Given
The Life You're Given
-neutralmilk
Applejack sighed as the two shooting stars disappeared beyond the distant silhouetted mountains, their tails following in suit. In her mind she knew it was time to prepare for bed, an incredibly long and eventful day behind her. Yet her body remained seated in front of the window, her emerald eyes gazing, scanning the darkened landscape that stretched off into an indiscernible horizon.
A feeling of unmistakable loneliness washed over her, something she knew she should’ve gotten used to by now. Even now, the wound felt as fresh as the day they died. When she first heard about it…
She shook her head back to reality, not wanting her thoughts to drift back to then.
Turning her back to the starry night sky, Applejack brushed her trademark Stetson off her head and clasped it in her hooves trying to fight back the sadness that slowly fell over her. She was tired; physically, mentally and emotionally. And she needed sleep. That much was clear to her. She had spent weeks planning and preparing for the largest Apple Family Reunion yet, and now it was finally done with. Even more, everypony showed up.
Well, not everypony… she found herself thinking, glancing back to the window.
She couldn’t explain it, but she soon found herself slowly approaching the windowsill, almost as if drawn by some otherworldly force. Before she knew it her body was pressed into the sill, her head and forelegs sticking partly out into the brisk night.
“Dad can `ah go to bed now?” Applejack asked, struggling to free herself from between the windowsill and her Father’s strong body.
“What? And miss this beautiful night?” her Dad rebutted, mocking hurt. “Why, you can probably see the lights of Manehattan in the distance if you looked hard enough!”
The orange filly leaned out her window as much as she could and squinted her eyes to focus in on the distance. Sure enough, on the edge of the horizon she saw a shimmering light; the skyline of Manehattan. “That must be one big city if 'ah can see it from here!” she exclaimed, taken aback. Her mind drifted to a city of colossal buildings, all of which were adorned with lights of hundreds, thousands of varying hues.
“Well it’s one of the biggest cities in all of Equestria.” Her Dad replied, smiling. “Your Aunt and Uncle Orange live there, you know.”
Applejack grimaced at the thought of them. They gave out terrible Hearth’s Warming presents. Her Father must have noticed somehow, because soon he began tickling her underside sending the filly into fits of laughter. “You know they’re not that bad.”
Applejack was far too busy trying to stop her Dad and break free to respond, and soon found one of her hooves free enough to counterattack. The two kept at this for some time, one successfully thinking they gained the advantage only to be outsmarted by the other, giggles escaping both of their mouths sporadically. Finally the two quieted down, returning their attention to the beautiful night sky. Its plentiful stars seemed like a map unfolding before them that stretched out to the corners of the world, and then, perhaps, beyond.
Applejack smiled, feeling the warmth of her Dad’s coat against her own and keeping her warm in spite of the brisk breeze that wafted through the room from her open window. “It’s time to go to bed honey.” He said softly, kissing the top her head.
“But Daaaad!” Applejack groaned. “I’m not even tired yet!”
He smiled. “Maybe so. But the farm is exhausted!”
Applejack looked at him, confused.
“I mean, just look at that chicken coop!”
The filly diverted her eyes at the small wooden building.
“How do you think it feels having been woken up so early by the rooster?”
Applejack giggled at the silly thought. “`Ah guess you’re right. Goodnight chicken coop!” she called down, waving her hoof at it.
“And what about that plow? You don’t think I did all the work myself do you?” Her Dad asked.
“Goodnight plow!” Applejack called down. She paused for a moment and quickly added: “And good work today, too!”
Her Dad laughed heartily and hugged her tightly. “In fact, you’ve had a busy day yourself. Why don’t you go to bed?”
“Ok Daddy.” Applejack sighed, stepping away from the window and approaching her bed. She was pretty tired. But then a thought came over her. “But Dad!" she began. Her Father looked at her, still smiling. “What about everything else? We can’t say ‘goodnight’ to only a few of `em!”
“Hm…” he put a hoof to his chin as if deep in thought. “I guess you’re right.”
So the two returned to the window, peeking their heads outside and examining the landscape before them. Everything from the fence, to the apple trees, to the very foundations of Canterlot Castle were wished a good night upon them. Applejack felt confident that she included everypony and everything she possibly could and started off to her bed.
“I’m proud of you, Applejack.” Her Dad said to her, tucking her in. “Not a single thing left out! Why I bet Equestria is gonna have the best night’s sleep it’s ever had thanks to you!” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams, honey.” He turned his back and started to the door.
“Hey Dad?” Applejack called out as he stood in the doorway.
“Yeah?”
“I love you! Good night!” The filly blew him a kiss and tossed over in her bed, burying herself in the blankets. Her Father stood there for another minute but eventually left to his room, leaving the orange filly to stare out the window at the myriad stars and their seemingly impossible patterns as she slowly drifted off into sleep.
Applejack suddenly found her thoughts back in the present, the familiar smell and the feeling of her Father fading away into the dark and starry night. She felt tears forming in her eyes from the vivid memory and blinked them back expertly. Outside her window lay the exact same world as the one from her childhood, as if nothing had actually changed. Instinctively she squinted her eyes at the horizon, focusing on the bright lights of Manehattan, just as awe inspiring as the night she was first pointed it out.
“You two missed a heckuva’ reunion.” She found herself saying as her eyes drifted up to the starry sky. “This is the first time we got everpony to show up! Why even Aunt and Uncle Orange came from Manehattan to stop by.” She felt a smile form on her face at the mention of their names. “Bet you wouldn’t believe they stayed for the whole time, too.”
She laughed to herself quietly and sighed again. “`Ah hate to admit it,” Applejack started again, awkwardly rubbing her shoulder. “But it wasn’t exactly as perfect as it sounds. `Ah muddled things up pretty badly. Tried to push everypony into ‘makin’ memories,’ which instead gave nopony time to catch up.” She paused for a moment, unsure whether to go on about her various mistakes or move on.
“Ya know, I may have made a fool out of myself earlier today,” Applejack said finally, smiling. “But it was still the best Apple Family Reunion we ever had. I really wish y’all could’ve seen it!” She beamed out into the empty night sky, half expecting a response; but she stopped suddenly, taking a pause. The feeling of loneliness crept over her again as she stared straight forward into nothingness. She slumped in the window sill, swaying her foreleg back and forth to a silent rhythm.
“Heck, I just wish you guys were still here…”
A cool, gentle breeze blew across her face, ruffling through the loose hairs of her mane and sending shivers down her spine. Applejack gasped at the suddenness of the sensation and shivered lightly; it had to more than just a breeze. The orange mare was sure her parents were there, standing by her side. She felt something brush against her shoulder, sure it was her Mother’s hoof…
“No.” She mumbled, dragging herself back into reality. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of a tear form at the corner of her eyelids and trickle down her cheek. No matter how hard she wished, or whatever Celestia and Luna’s benevolent powers conjured up for their respective days and nights, her parents were gone.
And… and they ain’t coming back. She found herself thinking, opening her eyes slowly, waiting for the sensation to fade away.
She found her thoughts drifting to her many friends, to the many memories they were all able to share with their parents. She remembered standing by to watch Twilight and her family take photos on the day they welcomed Princess Cadence into their tight-knit group. The smiles on their faces, the joyous tears flowing down Twilight’s mom’s face stood out. A moment she could never achieve, no matter how much she wished. Jealousy began to muster its way into the mare’s heart, leaving her feeling guilty, envious, and miserable all at the same time.
Applejack furiously scrubbed at her eyes, attempting to dry them and stop the tears from flowing altogether. She racked her brain for a way to alleviate her misery, looking for something to lash out on. Kick a hole in the wall. Throw a chair across her room. Do something. Instead the mare simply sighed and gazed around her room, shadows dancing in bizarre silhouettes on the walls from the bright moonlight beaming through the window and around Applejack’s body.
Giving up, Applejack returned to her position in the window.
“`Ah just don’t get why.” She said aloud to the star-filled sky, her confidant demeanor crumbling under her weighted mind. “Why’d you have to go?”
“`Ah mean, well, `ah know it’s a cliché to say it, but it really… well it’s not fair.” She paused another moment, annoyed at her display of weakness. She was supposed to be strong; or at least everypony she knew thought so. She had to be. She found herself attempting to regain her composure but failed, quickly using a hoof to rub back tears in her eyes. There was so much she wanted to say. So much she wanted to ask. But it felt so pathetic. “Couldn’t at least one of you stayed?” she asked feebly, lowering her head.
"Not that `ah'm not grateful for Granny Smith." She added quietly, thinking of the elderly mare sleeping soundly just down the hall. She had been there to raise her and Big Macintosh for longer than she cared to remember, even before her parents had died. And as far as she could tell, Granny Smith had done a fantastic job.
She tried to imagine the same image of Twilight's family replaced with her own, Granny Smith sobbing happily at the addition of another member of the Apples, but it just didn't seem right. And while she may have raised Applejack and Big Macintosh wonderfully, "It just ain't the same." Applejack finally concluded, pushing the thought from her head.
Deep down she knew it wasn’t anypony’s fault that her parents were gone. Nopony could have predicted what happened, least of all her parents themselves. Yet a feeling of betrayal still clung to her heart throughout the years. As if they had left far too soon, leaving her in her youthful prime in charge of not only their farm, but of the entire family.
“You know,” she began, “I missed so much because of you.” Her voice filled with accusation. “I wasn’t even a full grown mare when y’all left me like-like this.” She pressed her hooves to her chest. “I-I felt abandoned!” Another breeze blew through her mane, but she shook it off. “Do you know how much I had to learn by myself?! Big Macintosh and I had no clue how to run this farm the way both of you did.” Her vision turned to the many half-filled apple barrels scattered around outside of the barn, feeling herself calm down a bit. Bitter memories of the season Big Macintosh got hurt and she foolishly attempted to harvest the entirety of Sweet Apple Acres by herself filled her mind.
She stared out of the window a moment more and exhaled. “And, `ah guess, we still don’t.”
She grew silent and stared up at the moon, feeling that maybe if she directed her invective heaven-bound it could be heard. “Do you possibly know what it’s like to start growin’ up with two loving parents only to find yourself alone and bucked into maturity? Do you have any idea how hard this was for Big Macintosh? For me? For Apple Bloom?!”
Applejack suddenly stopped, feeling the name still on her lips. Apple Bloom. Her own sister was left without parents, set to live her entire life without really knowing either of them. She could feel something inside of her snap.
“And worst of all,” she growled at her parents. “You left Apple Bloom.” Her younger sister hardly ever acknowledged the existence of her parents in the years following their deaths, almost as if they didn’t exist in the first place. Applejack could only assume the pain the filly felt was the same, if not more due to her young age.
“At least Big Mac and I were old enough to try and work things out our own ways. We could always talk to each other. We had lots of friends. Heck, we had half of the town there to help us hat-in-hoof! But Apple Bloom was just a foal! You’re making her grow up in this world alone! Without a Father. Without a Mother! And Celestia knows she needs one at her age.”
She turned away from the window, feeling betrayed for her younger sister. She began thinking of all the things her sister had missed; the things she was lucky enough to have for herself.
Apple Bloom’s first day of school. Applejack remembered vividly seeing the looks of pride on the parents’ faces as they watched their fillies and colts trot happily, if somewhat nervously into Ms. Cheerilee’s class. She and Big Mac had been anxiously waiting for this day and there they stood in the schoolyard, their little sister with a bright, new bow tied in her red hair. She looked much calmer than both her siblings combined.
Her mind then drifted to the night Apple Bloom lost her first baby tooth. Applejack winced at the memory. She recalled seeing Apple Bloom trot around the house playing with her loose tooth, a large grin upon her face. When the time had finally come to pull it out, Big Mac and she tried to make the matter lighter by bringing her favorite stuffed animal into the room to keep her company. After ten minutes of fidgeting with the tooth, Big Mac and Applejack had given up. Big Mac tossed the stuffed animal onto the floor with an annoyed sigh.
The next thing they knew, Apple Bloom had leapt off her place on the counter she’d been sitting on to save her beloved stuffed animal and landed face first on the floor. The two ponies looked at each other nervously and quickly pulled the filly to her hooves. She had a large, toothy grin on her face, except there had been something missing. A tooth!
It took only a minute more for them to realize it was the wrong one.
She thought of the past few birthday parties that she and Big Macintosh worked for weeks to plan and make perfect, with all of her friends coming along. All the things that parents are there for.
“Her graduation…” she mumbled. “All of her crushes, or-or fights with friends or…” her voice trailed off. Applejack could feel tears welling up in her eyes but kept them back, refusing to give up the one bit of strength that she had left in her body.
But then it came to her. “Her cutiemark.” She stood there, silently. She and Big Mac had been growing increasingly concerned lately that their sister still hadn’t gotten her cutie mark, regardless of the hours and hours of “crusading.”
“You won’t even be here for her getting her cutiemark…” The idea was preposterous. Even after she had gotten hers her parents were there to make it one of the best nights of her life. But with their family that much smaller…
“How the hay can we expect her to get an Apple family cutiemark when her parents aren’t even around to help her!?” She slammed a hoof on the hardwood floor, leaving a dull ache. “When she barely even knows what it means to be an Apple!?”
Applejack stopped abruptly. “W-when she barely even has a family at all…” she mumbled to herself. Applejack’s anger drained, leaving a hollow feeling in its place. Being angry wouldn’t have done anything. She was still alone. She was still talking to the starry sky, not her parents.
She dropped her head in her hooves and broke down into tears, finally submitting to the feeling of insurmountable despondency that had been plaguing her. Her mind drifted back to many fragmented memories of vacations, free time, and even normal, daily activities with her once-whole family; one that had been and would remain lacking for the reminder of Applejack’s life.
The orange mare let the tears flow willingly for the first time in years, choosing to give up her perceived emotional strength and let her guard under the watch of the thousands of twinkling stars littering the night sky.
From behind her she almost missed the faint squeaking sound of her bedroom door being opened. Applejack spun around to find a cream-coloured filly standing awkwardly in the doorway, kicking at her hooves and staring at the ground, a slight frown pervading her face.
“W-why you cryin’, sis?” Apple Bloom asked innocently.
Applejack wiped her tear-stained eyes. “Ah, it’s nothin’, Apple Bloom.” She paused “Just thinking about… some old friends.” Applejack put on a gentle smile and tried to change the subject. “Everything ok?”
“What happened to them?” the filly asked almost automatically, genuine concern in her voice.
Applejack was taken aback by her sister’s interest and thought for a moment, trying to find a way to satisfy her sister’s curiosity while attempting to avoid mentioning their parents. “They moved away a few years ago.” She said, sighing. “But it’s nothing to worry about.” The mare turned back to her sister and smiled.
Apple Bloom considered the story and eyed her sister. “You promise?”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly.” Applejack crossed her heart with her hoof. “Now what brings you here this late? Don’t you have school in the morning?” Applejack looked at her questioningly.
Apple Bloom looked down at her hooves and remained silent.
“…Did Big Mac’s snorin’ keep you up again?” Applejack asked. “`Ah swear this is the fourth time this-”
“N-no…” the cream-coated filly interrupted. She paused and took in a deep breath. “`Ah had a really bad dream.” Apple Bloom was noticeably embarrassed by her confession and chose to continue kicking at her hooves in attempts to alleviate the feeling of awkwardness.
“I dreamt that the barn wasn’t actually a barn, b-but it was actually a HUGE monster in disguise!” she continued, flailing her hooves as she recollected the nightmare. “And one day me, you, and Big Mac were bringin’ apples up there when it grew legs, just like that! We were so scared we couldn’t move! The barn just started growling at us, and-and then it chased us all around Sweet Apple Acres!”
Applejack couldn’t help but smile at the completely ludicrous nightmare and tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. Apple Bloom took notice almost instantly and blushed, her cheeks turning a deep rouge that matched her bow.
“H-hey!” the filly cried defensively, stomping her hoof on the hardwood floor. “It-it ain’t funny!” Apple Bloom’s voice squeaked, which only succeeded in making her blush more. She hurriedly covered her mouth with a hoof as if it would somehow stop Applejack from hearing the overwhelmingly cute noise.
Applejack snickered softly and brought a hoof to her mouth to cover her smile. “You know, you’re right.” She said, lowering her hoof back to the floor. “It ain’t funny.”
Apple Bloom looked up at her sister, confused.
“`Ah mean, what if that did happen!” said Applejack, dramatically. “We ain’t prepared for anything like that! We’d be up to our necks in, well, all sorts of problems!” She smiled down at her sister and continued. “In fact, I’m thinkin’ tomorrow we check up on the barn and think of a backup plan.” She leaned toward her sister and waved her closer. “You know, just in case.” She whispered into the filly’s ear, making her giggle.
She seemed to have calmed down from her nightmare, but the frown soon its way back onto her face. “So I thought that…” Apple Bloom trailed off, looking back down at her hooves. “Maybe I could sleep in here tonight?” The filly glanced at her older sister, who looked at her with a smug grin on her face. “Not that I’m scared or nothin’!” she suddenly blurted, trying to protect her “big pony” persona.
Applejack laughed and ruffled her hoof through Apple bloom’s soft, red mane. “Nah, of course you `aint. You’re a big pony now!” Apple Bloom beamed at the compliment. “And sure you can sleep in here. You can keep me company.”
Applejack trotted over to her bed and pulled down the covers, all while beckoning her sister over. The filly happily obliged and scrambled into the bed, smiling lovingly at her sister as the covers were brought up to her chin and tucked around her tiny body.
“Scootch over a bit,” said Applejack, exhaustion in her voice. “You may be sleepin’ over here tonight, but that don’t mean you get the whole bed.”
Apple Bloom grinned at her older sister and shimmied over a foot, watching as Applejack gracelessly flopped onto the bed; this, in turn, emitted a small giggle from the cream-coloured filly. Applejack glanced over at her and returned a goofy grin. “Get some sleep Apple Bloom. We’ve got a long day, come mornin’.”
Her sister nodded happily and flopped onto her side, facing away from Applejack and falling asleep almost instantly. The orange mare suppressed an urge from her heart to hold her tightly, but instead untied the small, red band from her ponytail and tossed it expertly onto a nearby nightstand. Applejack sighed quietly and pulled the sheets over her body, turning her back to the filly sleeping beside her. She felt her gaze lazily drift to the window and the vast starry night sprawling out into the unknown.
Slowly, the familiar feeling of loneliness came over once again, giving her a brief desire to continue talking, to do something; however she found her mind was tired, unwilling even. There was no use to continue anymore. Everything was already said at one point or another. Even so there was no combination of words, no matter how lovely, heartfelt or true that could ease the dull pain in her heart that she felt for not only her own childhood cut short, but for the many memories and the childhood Apple Bloom would never be able to properly have.
She stopped herself, knowing full well that thinking about it anymore couldn’t and wouldn’t lead to anything good. `Ah need some sleep. She thought to herself, using it as a means to push any more unpleasant thoughts from her head. Sleep. The word was possibly the most beautiful one in the English language at the moment. The many sleepless nights and weeks of preparations and hard work finally seemed to be catching up to her…
Applejack’s eyelids began to droop, welcoming the coming slumber. Her eyes remained fixed on the starry night, watching as the once crisp, white stars began to blur from her own tiredness.
“Hey Applejack…?” a voice asked quietly from beside her. The mare snapped back awake and turned around to find Apple Bloom looking her straight in the face.
“Yeah Apple Bloom?” Applejack stretched and yawned.
She was startled for a moment when she felt Apple Bloom try to wrap her forelegs around her gently in a hug. Applejack looked down at her sister who smiled up at her lovingly. “Thanks, Applejack.”
Applejack smiled back at her sister and ruffled her mane. “Hey, none necessary! It’s the least `ah could do.”
“But you’ve done so much for me! You’ve helped me with… with everythin’!” She waved her forelegs dramatically to emphasize her point. “You’re like…” the filly paused and thought for a moment. “You’re the greatest sister ever!”
“Apple Bloom,” Applejack replied, wrapping her forelegs lovingly around her. “It’s what sisters do. I’m here for you, whether you need me or not. And `ah always will be.” Applejack watched her sister break out into a grin and felt her forelegs tighten around her in the strongest squeeze the filly could manage.
“I love you Applejack.” She said quietly. The two sat like this for a while, Applejack reminiscing about all the times she had shared with her younger sister.
From the first day of school, to the day she lost her first tooth and all the way through the myriad holidays and other special occasions in the past years. Regardless of all the difficulties, she realized she wouldn’t trade those memories for the world, parents or not.
As long as she had Apple Bloom, she didn’t need anypony else.
At last the embrace broke, the two returning to their original positions on the bed. Applejack once again found herself staring at the star-filled sky, the words still echoing in her head. I love you…
Maybe `ah was wrong… Applejack thought to herself, glancing over her shoulder at the sleeping filly, her chest slowly rising and falling to an unheard rhythm. She turned back and began unconsciously counting the stars that hung in the sky, unsure where to continue her train of thought. She felt different somehow. Something she couldn’t place her hoof on.
As if the visit by Apple Bloom had changed her mind on some things.
However, her time to dwell upon it was cut short by the presence of two brilliant shooting stars lazily drifting by Applejack’s window, on a path identical to the ones earlier in the evening. Slowly, a smile crept onto her face and all of her previous fears and concerns washed away, her mind comforted by the bathing glow of the shooting stars.
Before she knew it the stars were already slowly passing into the horizon, leaving Applejack alone once again. As she stared at the nighttime sky, tears began to well in her eyes, trickling down her cheek and onto her pillow. Applejack rubbed a hoof against her eyes and turned around to face her younger sister who was still sleeping peacefully.
She softly brushed her hoof through the filly’s mane who shivered under the light touch. Applejack smirked.
“Hey Apple Bloom…?”
The filly stirred.
“…Did you know you could see Manehattan from the window if you looked hard enough?”
THE END
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- gmen15 · 5.4k words · 614 7 · 6.7k views
- neutralmilk · 1.5k words · 119 5 · 5.7k views
- neutralmilk · 13k words · 29 7 · 1.1k views
- professorriversong · 3.7k words · 35 2 · 664 views
- neutralmilk · 3.3k words · 25 0 · 1.4k views
- Goldy · 1.1k words · 27 2 · 1.5k views
- Mist Twister · 2.7k words · 44 1 · 915 views
Stats
Page generated in 0.198 seconds
Total duration
972 users online
1,461,900 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Comment.
Edit:
Great story, the time put into it was well worth it.
Funny thing, I was wondering when the next time I would see or hear "taken aback" used. I didn't expect it to be in a fic. So cool.
A fantastic read! Nothing felt too drawn out or rushed. I love cheesecake! Great job, Milk!
2176150 Oi! Spoilers! Edit the second part there
2179836 There ye go :)
Ay, great story lad
Manly tears.
They have been shed
I don't always cry at stories.
But when I do it's at family fics
Have my sad
Please, feel free to comment, thumb up and fave!
Awww.
That ending just killed me. I don't know why, but . . . argghh. Take my feels. 
You have made me experience feels. Good job. this story gets a favorite.
2202013 Hey glad you liked it!! And thanks for the fave/ thumb
2202025 I favorite stories that I think deserve them, and fics which elicit actual emotions from me are few and far between.
Applejack sad fics always make me cry Womanly Tears.
This honestly made me cry. The song was PERFECT for this. I lost family recently too, and I know these feels...
2202090 Hey thanks! It took a long time to come up with a proper ending here
Glad you liked it!
Oh my god...tears. TEARS literally shed during the reading of this oneshot! I'm totally faving this. Honestly, everything in this fic was perfect. Not a single line worth changing or anything! Completely and utterly perfect. Well done!
Oh I remember when my dad passed away. Still don't think I'm entirely over it...
2202853 Likewise
I'd been thinking of him for months and had to do something to work some of these feels off. I'm glad you liked it though 
2202845 Thank you very much! It's comments like this that make writing totally worthwhile
Just curious, how did Applejack's parents die?
I have to say that this is a really well written fiction. The quote I base all of literature off of is a simple quote by Leo Tolstoy, "Art is not a handicraft, It is the shorthand of emotion". Your fiction portrays loss and the bitterness, anger and resentment after that loss.
It is fictions like yours that caused me to become a Brony and it is fictions like yours that will have me staying with this fandom.
Oh, this is lovely. Too many "Why did you have to die?" stories wallow in sorrow or in guilt, which we tell ourselves are Positive Emotions under the circumstances, and ignore the very real feelings of abandonment and resentment, which perhaps we'd rather not talk about. It's a delicate high wire, but you've walked it beautifully.
2202965 This is the greatest comment ever and it made my day
As for how they died, I honestly do not know. The point of the story is her emotions far more than the parents themselves. I imagine ti the way my Father passed (well for AJ's dad anyway), but it's mainly for the reader to decide.
2203208 Thank you very much for this! I love hearing praise like this
I think I might have been a pre reader/editor, but I forgot to give feedback... crap..
Well, Better late than never!
I really liked it, and I could feel the emotion going on through the story. It was a great idea and it pulled through well. Nice job :D
I will be disappoint if this is not featured
KillJoy sent me here and I'm glad he did.
2204407 Killjoy is a good man. And has a great taste in fics
This was honestly one of the greatest fics I've ever read. The emotions were so real
/ 
yes
I think I caught a small thing: "Jealously began to muster its way," you mean jealousy?
Also, you use a little too many adverbs. All the 'ly's can get annoying, so try to strengthen your verbs so you don't need as many.
But that doesn't mean it wasn't a good story. It was touching and charming and I enjoyed it very, very much.
I'm all sad now.....perfect.....now I can write.
Thank you for writing such a wonderful fic. I am so touched that you wrote it in memory of your late father. I betcha he's real proud of you for writing this.
For any hardships that come along, just remember: "In the end, it'll always be ok. If it ain't ok, then it ain't the end."
Toodledoo,
Quillin Words
Oh my gosh...what a magical story. Thank you for this. Thank you.
You know a fic is damn good when it has zero thumbs down. Not even the typical "Welp let's keep deh baluns heer durr hurr thumbdown" whelp could possibly dislike something so sweet and heartfelt.
Hats off.
2204819 Corrected and thanks for the feedback! I agree, my writing style could use a bit of work with the adverbs. And I intend to write future fics with that in mind. This one meant far too much for me to try a whole new style, however. Thanks again, and I'm glad you liked it!
2205169 And thanks for keeping it without any thumbs down
That was a truly amazing story, done quite well. Made me go and listen to this
silveryhat.com/fun_pix/data/129157477066831452.gif
Now, I've been described as emotionless by my friends, but this fic just proved them wrong! This is freaking awesome! I loved the ending!
2179836
I'm thinking it should be
Besides that, it was a beautiful story. MUSTACHES!
Moustaches in your honor, my dear friend.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It may be morbid, but it's true.
This isn't the first fic I've seen that explores how Applejack copes with her dead parents, but I will say this is probably one of the best. Applejack's frustration really shines through, especially since what she's frustrated about is something far beyond her control. She can keep asking "Why this?" and "Why that?" until she's blue in the face, but in the end, there really is no answer.
Life throws us all for a loop sometimes, AJ. You just gotta keep bucking and hang in there. But, I think you already know that.
This was very well done! The first Apple family parents fic I've read, and it was very moving. :)
2206751 Thanks a lot! It took a while and a lot of work, but I'm glad it was this worth it
Thanks for reading, btw 
2205989 memecrunch.com/image/4fa16e2d1861336971000f0a.jpg HEY THANKS
2206221 MOUSTACHES ARE AWESOME
2202090 It's not just "practically canon", it is canon - Sibsy confirmed on her Twitter that the stars are her dead parents.
....Anyone else reminded of The Lion King with that?
You know, the only things that manage to make me cry are consistent panic attacks, the scene in the first pokemon movie where ash gets turned to stone, and sad pony fics. Seriously, I watched Bambi when I was six and I was just looking around at my entire class crying, including the teacher and I was just like 'dafuq, it's a deer'. And this made me cry... DAMN YOU AND YOUR TALENT
I read nearly only sad fics here. Not once has one almost made me tear up
. This is a true masterpiece!
So sweet! I loved it. But...
As long as I have Applebloom, I don't need anypony else.
What are we, chopped liver?
Eeyup.
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/383/099/397.jpg
That was beautiful, author, beautiful. A well-written bit of heartfelt emotion beating the reader over the head like a sledgehammer driving in a railway spike.
Perfection.
Your father wouldn't care the slightest that this story was about cartoon ponies. He would sense your love for him written behind every word, and know how much he meant for you. He would be proud, my friend. He would be very proud.
That was an amazing read. I only saw one teensy mistake.
Its a cutie mark - not a cutiemark
Other than that, an wonderful, heartfelt read.
Curses. My feelz are befuddled yet again.
Good job on this.