After vampire fruit bats create problems on the farm, Applejack moves away to make extra money for Sweet Apple Acres. Featured is a collection of letters Granny Smith wrote to Applejack, keeping her updated on all the happenings back home.
When Sweet Apple Acres fell into hard times due to a vampire fruit bat infestation, Applejack moved to find work elsewhere so that she could send money to help support her family. Unfortunately, this meant moving quite far away from Ponyville and out of touch with her friends. Granny Smith though, keeps Applejack up to date by writing her letters. This is a selection of those letters addressed to Applejack, written by Granny Smith.
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.
Thank you ever so much for sending yer family picture to us. Why Apple Bloom had more bounce in her than a rabbit in courtin’ season, when she found out she’d become an aunt. Yer three little foals are the spitten image of you and yer ma, and they’re the cutest little things too. Why I just had to hang that picture up on my fridge when it came. Nice to see ya face again, and that colt you’re with looks to be a fine young fellow too.
We’re somehow managing through with the farm. Past few years have been mighty rough with the crops dwindling like they been. A few trees stopped pushing out apples for us, and I think they’s a dying off. Don’t you fret though. We Apples have weathered far worse, and the zap apples are still going strong. But things are a piling up here, and well I know you don’t like to hear this, but we’re thinking of renting out parts of some fields. It’ll help pay some bills, and take some stress off the family. Now that don’t mean you need to send us even more than what ya have been. You’ve been helping quite a bit, and by Celestia, we ain’t gonna drive ya poor over there. You got yer own family to feed.
In o’ bit of happier news, looks like your brother Big Mac finally popped the question to his sweetheart Cheerilee. I always knew the big lug had it in him. He always was too quiet for his own good. Told him you’d be married off before he was; lookin’ like I was right too. They’ll be married off next summer, then who knows what’ll become of them lovebirds. Hoping maybe you and yer family can stop on over when they do get hitched. Sure would be nice to see all of ya.
Thanks again Applejack for all yer support. We here certainly do appreciate it. Hope work isn’t bustin’ ya up too much. You never did say what kind of job ya found. I’ll write ya again when we have a date set fer the wedding.
Pie Family Rock Farm, Equestria Celestial Year 1074
My Dearest Granddaughter Applejack;
Happy Hearth’s Warming Day to the lot of ya. I hope you and yer family are keeping warm during these cold months. We decided to take a trip on over to the Pie family farm again for the holidays. And I gotta say, it’s been downright nice seeing ole Iggy and Big Mama Q again. Think they’ve taken quite nice to having us up each year. The eatin was about the usual, though I think the rock soup might be growin on me. Well, only a tiny bit. Still quite the pain to chew.
That new shared tradition though of pushing Holder’s Boulder up from the quarry gave my bones quite the rattle. I thank you again for startin that brilliant little tradition. Don’t think we ever would’ve gotten it back up if Big Mac hadn’t brought his kin and wife. He got two foals of his own! At least the Pies have warmed up to just giving the presents instead o’ hiding them. And Pinkie Pie kept talking bout how she misses you. Thought I’d go and warn ya that she might be stopping by for a visit. Wouldn’t right let go of me till she got your address. I just know ya’ll have fun together.
Applejack, I wish I could tell ya we were only at the Pie farm on vacation, but there’s another reason. Wanted to get away from the farm for a spell cause well, we’ve gone and sold it off. We couldn’t keep the bills under our belts any longer. Now I ain’t a pony to ever call it quits on something, especially not our home, but when I saw how it dragged your brother and sister down, and all the money you’ve been sending to help, I couldn’t put ya’ll through this any longer. Farm was going under, little to no apples, and the collectors were at our hooves every week. The whole thing has hung over us like a storm cloud and Hearth’s Warming was a chance to run away from it, if just for a bit. Come next week, we’ll be a scavenging for a new home for me and Apple Bloom. Don’t want to intrude on Big Mac and his family if we can help it. Once we settle ourselves down, I’ll send ya my new address.
Had to sell the animals too. Fluttershy is a holding on to some, but had to sell the rest. Just didn’t have a place for them to go. Don’t you fret though, we still got Winona. I knew how much you like that dog.
Hope you and yer family there enjoy a hearty Hearth’s Warming. I included our signature apple pie. Tis the last one I could make. Share it with the kin and you’ll have a few good stories to reminisce them with about the farm. I also included a picture of the whole get-together with the Pies. Hope ya’ll stay warm over there and take care. We miss you all here, and hope ta see you soon.
I’m sorry to have ta tell you this, but I doubt word woulda traveled up your way that cousin Goldie Delicious passed away. Last I’d seen her, she’d been coughing up something right nasty. Had a hoarse voice and a poppin her medicine like there wasn’t a tomorrow. Still, mighty sad seeing the old girl go. It’s not gonna be the same without her. Every-pony took hold of some of her cats, and things. If we still had the farm, we’d of had room for all them critters. But I suppose things weren’t meant to be that way.
Your great-grandaunt Auntie Applesauce had gone up to visit Goldie and play a few hoofs of cards. Said Goldie had looked a tad weak and kept spilling her cider. Well, Auntie Applesauce stepped out of the room, and when she came back, Goldie Delicious had drifted off and was gone. Least to say she wasn’t alone when it happened. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers won’t ya Applejack?
Speaking of Goldie, I dun inherited some of her history books on the family. Mighty fine trip down memory lane looking at some of these. Even found some pictures of you as a filly with your ma and pa. Ya know, they were so proud when they had ya. Never saw two happier ponies than them. I swear those two musta had a hundred cameras with the pile of pictures I got here. Even got a few with Apple Bloom when she was fresh outta yer ma. I do hope you come visit Applejack, I’d love for our family to be whole again.
Anyway, Ponyville is treating me well enough. I do know how you worry about me. Miss the open air of the farm of course. Too many houses shoved close together here. Hardly room to walk outside it seems. But living close to yer friend Rarity does have its perks. That spa we go to is quite the establishment they got here. Feeling like Rarity and Fluttershy are sophisticating me up. What with the massages and the hooficures. Can’t imagine yer great-grandparents ever woulda approved of me at such a place.
Well thank you as always for what ya send. It pays the bills easy and even leaves me a bit of spending money. You make certain you save some them bits for yer family. And don’t work yourselves too hard.
I’m sorry for not responding to ya sooner. Think my age has finally been a catching up to me. The hooves get a little sorer now than they used to. Guess I’m no fresh lil filly anymore. It’s really true what they say Applejack. Don’t get old. Things stop working, and bruising comes easy. Don’t know how I managed it, but banged my knee on the table last week. Still got the shiner to prove it, all speckled up like I banged it yesterday.
Ya know Applejack, it’s been almost 30 years since ya up and left the farm to help out. Don’t quite seem that long when ya look at it. But then, time does chug on a lil faster as the years pass ya by. You been married now as long as ya have, and Big Mac, even he’s been married round 20 years. All seems to have happened in the blink of an eye.
Apple Bloom managed to find herself a colt too. Can ya believe it? Yer lil sister growing up into a fine mare. I can still remember her as a filly, causing all manner of ruckus with that newspaper club of hers. No need to fret though, the colt is a fine stallion. Made sure of that myself. Poor boy probably thought crazy granny was gonna knock him clear over to Manehattan. Anywho, those two lovebirds have flew the coop.
All this means I’s got the whole house to myself. It’s a bit quieter than I used to, and a tad sad if I’m honest. But Big Mac and his family are regulars, bringing up their kids. He’s got a few more now too. Family’s a growing. And Cheerilee is as sweet as ever. I think your brother’s got a real winner.
Otherwise I spend a lotta my time reading. Newspaper drops by and I go cover ta cover. Rarity drops by with some of her romance novels on occasion. The books are alright, but let me tell ya, those things get a bit too exciting for me sometimes. Don’t know how yer friend carries them round in public. But boy does she turn redder than an apple at harvest when I mention it to her.
And thank ya for that new family picture. All your youngins are growing nicely. I can tell ya haven’t changed a bit just from that picture. Still an honest, hardworking mare and I’m so excited to hear ya might be coming up ta visit! I told Apple Bloom and Big Mac soon as I heard. Gonna have to let us know when so we can be ready. Why, we’ll have the biggest lil party this side Equestria. I can’t rightly remember the last I saw you. We’ll buy some apples, make some pies, it’ll be just like you never left. Hoping to see you soon!
I’m sorry for not writing to ya sooner Applejack, and I don’t rightly know how best to say this in a letter. But, Granny Smith has passed away. Don’t worry. She wasn’t alone when it happened. She’d actually been spending a week with me and my family. You should’ve been here Applejack. Whenever she had the chance, Granny was a playing with her great grandchildren. Seated down on the floor with them, and just a coloring and telling her stories like she always did. The smile on her face, it was the happiest I’d seen her in quite a long time. I think she liked having the kids there. They helped her feel young, ya know?
She passed in her sleep, about as peacefully as anyone could ever hope to go. We buried her out next to grandpa, just where she wanted. I wish you would’ve been there Applejack. She talked so much about you these past few months. Every time she got herself a letter from you, she’d be a showing it off to the whole family. Treasured every one of those she did. And ya know what, Granny really couldn’t have stayed as happy as she did without you supporting her. I think we all appreciate that the most. It meant so much to her to stay with her kin and out of some nursing home. Heck, every picture you sent went on a wall or fridge. Just like all of us, she really loved you.
She really missed the farm though. You could see it in her eyes when she’d be looking out the window in her rocker. Too used to staring out the window at home and seeing our fields, or the barn. I think it agitated her, even after all this time. That’s why ya moved. To help pay for things and keep the farm with us. I just wished it woulda turned out differently. Maybe then you woulda stayed, and who knows what might’ve happened.
I gotta tell you though; when Granny did stay with us, she took complete control of my kitchen. Funny thing, my husband Dusty Star, tried making her a sweet ole apple pie. Why I’d never seen a pony kicked so fast outta a kitchen then I did that day. Granny went on about this and that on how he was doing it completely wrong. Ended up making the thing herself. Of course it wasn’t with Sweet Apple Acre apples, so to her it was no better than some store-bought pie. Sometimes I don’t know how Grandpa ever put up with a mare like her.
Applejack, it certainly has been a while since we spoke to one another. Maybe you ought to think of coming back down to Ponyville for a spell. It’d give you a chance to say a proper goodbye to Granny, and well, we’d all love to see you again. Please consider it.
