On Family and Friends
You often think clearest at night. That time right between laying down and going to sleep, when all the day's work is over and there's nothing else to do. That quiet alone time right before the pleasant haze of sleep carries you into a new day, when you get to think back on all that you accomplished, and what matters most to you. It was this time of night that Applejack looked most forward to.
It was her time. She enjoyed this time to herself, where she could simply relax and let her mind meander freely, sampling random thoughts and sentiments without real guidance or direction.
Tonight was no exception, either. Applejack was stretched out on her bed with a small and contented smile on her face. Her forearms were folded behind her head as she rested on her back, gazing upwards toward the ceiling but not focusing on anything in particular. Her bedroom window was open, allowing the cool and slightly humid summer air from the evening to seep in and spread its calm. She could hear the crickets and other assorted nighttime insects outside as they sung and cavorted; their light droning only adding to the sleepy and peaceful ambiance that currently befell Sweet Apple Acres. However, despite the tranquil atmosphere Applejack's mind was quite active.
There was so many things to think about... family, friends, her farm, all the adventures she had the privilege of experiencing... each one sent a tiny wave of nostalgia through her as she took time to recollect the great fortune she was blessed with. She had been the holder of the Element of Honesty. She had helped defeat not one, not two, but five power-hungry beings from taking over or somehow corrupting the nation she loved so much. And what an adventure every single one of those had been. Applejack closed her eyes and chuckled softly as she remembered way back to her and her friend's defeat of Nightmare moon, and her subsequent conversion into princess Luna. It seemed so dangerous and important then- and it very well was- but now that several years had elapsed between that night and this one, Applejack could more clearly see the full scope of everything that had transpired. She had made friends with Twilight and Spike almost that same day, and she was extremely glad to be friends with the bookish now-princess and the noble yet occasionally immature drake.
Of course, Nightmare Moon wasn't the only enemy Applejack had defeated or converted with the aid of her friends and the Elements. There was Discord- Applejack rolled her eyes at the thought of the insane Draconequus: despite what Fluttershy said, there was still a large part of that varmint that was nothing but trouble. She didn't think she would ever trust him completely again. Even if he was now reformed.
Applejack moved along in her thoughts though, as she didn't wish to spend any more time thinking about the ex-tyrant than she had to. Going off a chronological checklist inside her mind, the next villain whom she defeated was Chrysalis. Applejack frowned a little as her eyes roamed around noncommittally, barely registering what they were actually witnessing. The whole wedding was a very strange event- well, the first wedding ceremony was, anyway. Still, not only did she get to kick changeling flank alongside her best friends, but she also got to become friends with princess Cadance after everything was resolved. Applejack made a quick nod in recollection as she remembered the cake she helped Cadance bake for the real wedding. It had probably been the best and tastiest wedding cake she had made. Applejack took pride in her work; baking was no exception.
It is natural for one's thoughts to take a detour from their original path when they are allowed room to wander. Since she was already on the subject of cakes, Applejack's mind went to the massive cake her brother had to carry during that fateful train ride. What had Pinkie been thinking to make it so big? Then again, what Pinkie Pie thought about was most always an uncrackable enigma to everypony else. Pinkie was so random, yet despite her random and oftentimes foalish behavior, Pinkie Pie had a heart of gold. All her friends did... Applejack removed her forearms from their resting spot behind her head, moving them into a wide arc over herself as she stretched and yawned. Finishing the stretch, she rolled over onto her right side, pulling her bedsheet over herself and attempted to get comfortable. Applejack hadn't spoken much during her thoughts up to this point, as she didn't want to wake anypony else were she to start talking to herself. Smiling fondly, she mumbled softly as her mind began to wander again.
“...Ah'm so lucky to have the friends and family Ah' do.”
The statement was short and sweet, yet ever so true to Applejack. She was extremely lucky to have the friends she did, and the fact that they were holders of the elements and destined for each other made their friendship all the sweeter to her. She was thankful for each and every one of her five best friends and fellow element-holders:
Pinkie Pie.
Twilight Sparkle.
Rarity.
Rainbow Dash.
Fluttershy.
Each one amazing in their own way. Despite the conflicts they've endured over the years, and the occasional butting of heads, Applejack was proud to say the friendship between them was as strong as ever. Despite what would come in the future, no matter what changes would inevitably take place, Applejack was determined to keep as close to her friends as she could. Applejack could even imagine herself and her friends staying close in the future, when they were all as old as Granny Smith and hobbling along with canes or riding in wheelchairs. It didn't matter if Twilight was a princess and would eventually have her own set of duties to attend to, which would most likely leave her schedule completely booked. It didn't matter if Rainbow Dash would most likely join the wonderbolts and be busy training and touring all over Equestria. Same thing applied for Rarity, who surely would make it big in the fashion industry and wind up leaving for Manehattan or Canterlot or some other high-falootin city where her work would be more widely appreciated than it was here in Ponyville. And not to forget Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, who both were just as likely to remain where they were living than to move away somewhere else. Applejack knew she was bound to her farm, though, yet she wouldn't have it any other way. Still, she had resolved in her mind years ago, and continued with that resolve now, that no matter the obstacles in her way, she would find time for her friends.
...There was no way Applejack was going to sleep now. Her mind was too active. Not that this normally happened to her, but as she rested and recollected on her thoughts, she felt a warm energy stealth into her system. Such a feeling often would induce sleep as it had a comforting effect, but in this instance it somehow stirred Applejack enough to keep her awake.
“Ah' wonder how Applebloom's doin'...”
Applejack sat up on her bed and looked idly towards the door. She might as well check up on her little sister, since it seemed she wasn't getting to sleep anytime soon herself. Taking a deep breath, as one often does before leaving a comfortable spot, Applejack pulled the sheets off herself and scooted off the bed. Not having much else to observe in her own room, she crept to the door and passed into the hallway, oddly enough leaving her hat sitting on the worn nightstand beside her bed. Applejack knew every floorboard not to step on as she went to her sister's room, as the squeaks from some of them would cause enough noise to wake Winona, and she was sleeping outside.
After a little navigating, she made it. She arrived at her little sister's doorway, having traversed the maze that was the upstairs hallway of their old and weathered farmhouse. Luckily, it was cracked open enough for Applejack to poke her head through. What she saw was simply precious, and it brought a wide smile to her features.
Applebloom was more or less sprawled out on her bed, with one of her forelegs dangling off the side. Her window was also open to let the cool nighttime air in, and her bedsheets were all bunched up in one corner of the bed. Applejack guessed that it must have been too hot in the room when she initially fell asleep to use her sheets. Her fur was matted above her face from dried-up sweat, and her mouth was hanging open slightly, allowing soft snores to escape her.
Applejack decided to venture into the room completely, cautiously opening the door to allow herself entry. Thank goodness she had finally put oil on those creaking hinges, Applejack thought to herself. Now that she was inside, she paced up to the bed of her younger sister. Applejack smiled down at her slumbering sister before leaning over and kissing her forehead gently.
“...Ah' love you, Applebloom,” she whispered while gazing at the sleeping form of Applebloom.
And love her she did. Applebloom meant the world to her older sister. She made sure that the rambunctious filly knew she loved her with every opportunity she had.
Applebloom stirred a little in her sleep, smacking her lips before readjusting herself and resuming her slumber. Applejack wanted to hug her sister. She wanted to wake her up right there and remind her once more that she loved her... but refrained herself from doing so. She would have to be content with the kiss.
Sighing gently, Applejack spent a few more seconds spectating her sleeping sister before turning around to leave. She bit her lip and flinched as she nearly tripped over something she hadn't seen on her way in. Holding her breath, she checked to see if her sister was still asleep. ...and she still was. Phew, that was close.
“What in tarnation...” Applejack mouthed as she lifted her hoof to see just what it was she had almost woke her sister over.
Laying on the ground near the bed was a small diorama of what looked like Sweet Apple Acres, though the models were crudely made. It seemed Applebloom and her friends had decided to try and get their cutie marks in sculpting. ...At least they weren't going for detonations. Again.
Applejack leaned in a little closer to inspect the miniaturized version of her family farm. She held a hoof to her mouth to suppress a giggle at the scene her sister had created with the diorama. Bic Mac, who was represented by a lump of red-dyed clay with baling twine hanging loosely around his neck to represent his yoke, was sitting down in the middle of the field. A small lump of uncolored clay with a bow sat on clay Mac's front hooves, while another lump of clay with an acorn's base on it's head- Applejack presumed that this lump was supposed to be her- was leaning against one side of the Macintosh clay model. On the other side of the miniature Macintosh rested a grass-stained and rather lumpy clay chunk. The Apple family.
From the looks of all the little elements added to the cute scene, it was apparent to Applejack that the filly sleeping on the bed behind her had put a lot of effort into this project to make it look like it did. Applejack felt a pulse of happiness throughout her frame as she looked at her sister's work, and she actually had to suppress herself from tearing up. It wasn't the way the model below her was constructed- the diorama itself was little more than cardboard, clay and random scraps of matter that Applebloom had scrounged together- No, it was the way in which the filly had carefully arranged the family; the way she had expressed through simple lumps of clay the deep love the family had for each other. It was precious.
Applejack looked back to the bed and smiled at her little sister, allowing herself to get just a little misty-eyed as she thought about the love they had for each other. She whispered a loving farewell to her sister before leaving the room for the night.
“G'night, Applebloom. Sweet dreams, sis...”
Applejack thought about her family as she paced the empty hallway back to her own room, dodging the creaky boards again to maintain the tranquil atmosphere the farmhouse was entranced in.
She loved her family. They meant everything to her. Applejack occupied herself with this thought as she entered her room and approached the window. Leaning against the sill, she looked out through the screen and onto her family's loved and well-tended farmland.
“...Life sure is wonn'erful,” Applejack mused, sighing in contentment as she thought about the family she loved and who loved her in return. There was her granny, who still stayed active despite her age. Oh, how Applejack loved her granny. She was thankful for all the love and wisdom her granny had imbued upon her and her siblings through the years. She cared so much for them, and had done her absolute best to raise them by herself: and she had done a good job, if Applejack had to say so. She didn't know how much time she had left to spend with the elderly mare who was so dear to her, but she knew that every moment she got to spend with her granny was precious to her.
As Applejack leaned against the windowsill, her thoughts drifted to her brother Macintosh. Her brother had always been there to support her, and sometimes had been there to correct her as well when she was getting too stubborn about an issue or putting too much work on her plate. Applejack chuckled a little at how often Mac had to correct her when she unknowingly overburdened herself. He was an amazing big brother, and she loved him dearly. Even though Mac seemed stoic to most other ponies, Applejack knew that he talked quite often when it was just them. Now, Big Mac still limited his end of conversations to include the least amount of necessary words, but he was far from silent when he was with his family.
Try as she might to keep her cognitive processes sharp, the blurry tranquility connected with sleepiness was slowly creeping back into Applejack's being, subconsciously tugging her back towards her bed and into the comforting embrace of slumber. She yawned, prying her eyes away from the landside- her land, her family's land and the land filled with so much pride and love- and slowly trudged back to her bedside. She thought about her little sister as she climbed back onto her mattress, pulling the sheets over her comfortably.
Applebloom meant so much to her. The sweet and charismatic filly had a bright and exciting future ahead of her, and Applejack felt proud as a sister to know that she was doing as best as she could to see that Applebloom achieved her dreams... or at least the dreams that didn't involve burning half of the farm down in some failed experiment or plan by the cutie mark crusaders.
Applebloom would get her cutie mark in time. Applejack chuckled softly as she closed her eyes, turning on her side and settling in for the night. Her sister would find out what her special talent was... Applejack already had a guess as to what it could be, but she would stay silent until that day came, to see if she was right. Until then, she would wait. Wait and enjoy watching her beloved little sister discover herself and embark on her own adventures in life.
Applejack was a lucky mare. She was lucky to have such amazing friends who cared for her, friends who she was destined from the start to have her life intertwined with, and who would have her back, no matter what the odds or trials.
She was also lucky to have the family she did. She had the best older brother a pony could ask for, the sweetest little sister whom she loved dearly, and an amazing and caring granny. She didn't need anything else. What she had in life was more than enough for her to life a happy, meaningful and contented life.
The summer night was calm and peaceful around Sweet Apple Acres. The soft and tranquil droning of the crickets was the last sound that the last awake member of the Apple family heard before she relinquished that title, joining her family in dreamland. Tomorrow would be a new day. A new day, filled with love, no matter what happened. Every day was a blessing, and Applejack would make certain that she enjoyed that blessing for all it was worth.