Applejack was out in the Northern Orchard, planting a few saplings, when she stopped to take a break. She took off her hat and wiped the sweat from her brow, “Feuu! It’s hotter than Granny’s skillet out here.”
Looking in her saddlebag and not finding anymore saplings, she looked at the sun to see what time it was, blocking most of the light with her forehoof. “I must be gettin’ slow. It’s already noon,” she said to herself before trotting back to the house.
Just as she got in the door, she heard a voice from inside, “Applejack, is that you?”
“Yeah Granny, it’s me!” she answered.
“Before ya get settled in could ya check the mail? I’m expectin’ a letter from cousin Breaburn!”
Applejack sighed, not looking forward to going back out, “Sure thing Granny!”
Applejack trotted down the trail through their yard until she reached the end, where a mailbox was neatly placed in the knothole of a particularly large, old apple tree.
She looked in the mailbox and found the letter in question. She grabbed it and started to head back to the house when she saw a pony walking up the old dirt road that led out of town.
The pony was fairly old, maybe twice Applejack’s age, he had a caramel coat and chocolate mane, or maybe it was just really dirty, since he had splotches of dried mud on him from head to tail. His mane looked like it hadn’t been brushed in years.
He walked up and gave Applejack a great big smile, surprising her with a flawless set of teeth for somepony who otherwise looked like a walking pigsty. Now that he was up close, she noticed his large size, ‘Must be a draft pony like Mac,’ she guessed, ‘He might even be a wee bit bigger.’
“Well howwwwwDAY, sir!” he called in an unexpectedly high voice.
“Sir!? I ain’t no ‘Sir’!” she nearly growled at him.
The stranger laughed, “Hee Heee! Sorry ‘bout that, it’s been a while since I seen a mare who look like she could pull her own weight aroun’ a farm this size. Not to mention my eyes ain’t what they used to be.”
Applejack blinked, “Oh, uh, thanks. I guess.”
"No tanks needed Miss….?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Oh! Right, name’s Applejack. Nice to meet ya!” AJ smiled and shook his hoof, but found out, unlike most ponies she’d greeted, he was the one shaking her.
“It’s right nice to meet ya Miss Applejack. Ma name’s Idaho, Idaho Potato, but folks just call me Tater, Tate iffin ya wanna get fancy,” he said, letting out a big laugh from his belly before he started coughing violently.
“Uh, are you alright?” Applejack asked.
Tater wiped his mouth, “ ‘cough’ Yeah, ‘hack’ I’m fine little lady. I’m just a might parched. Ya’ll got a well around here that I could take a sip from?”
Applejack smiled, “How about you come up to the house and get a glass of lemonade. Granny loves to pour in the sugar this time of the year.”
Tater grinned so widely, Applejack thought his face was going to split, “Well now, that sounds right lovely, Miss Applejack, if yer sure your Granny won’t mind an ol’ bowl a dirt like me in her nice clean house.”
Applejack laughed, “Shucks, if I know Granny, she’ll think you’re a hoot. Come on.”
Tater coughed again before following her up the norrow dirt path to the Apple home. He did his best to let her lead but his legs were a bit longer, so it was hard to match her stride. As he came up beside her, she took the chance to glance at his cutie mark. She saw something green but the spots of mud made it hard to make out.
He paused and tried to see what Applejack was looking at. He smiled, “If ya wanted to see it, all ya had to do was ask,” he spat on his hoof and rubbed the dirt off.
Applejack was slightly embarrassed to have been caught. While it was normal for ponies to look at each other’s cutie marks, it was still a bit rude to stare. “Mint leaves?” she asked, looking at the seven mint leaves on his flank.
“Yes ma’m! It’s how I keep my pearly whites shinin’ so bright,” he gave a big toothy grin to make his point. “Grow a patch of it next to the house,” he explained as he pulled out a small bag from one of his saddlebags. He stuck his tongue into the bag and licked up a wad of shredded mint before offering the bag to Applejack.
The orange pony smiled and shrugged, “What the hay!” before licking up a wad for herself. After a couple of chews she cringed and gagged a bit, “This stuff’s kinda strong.”
Tater chuckled as he placed the bag back in his saddlebag. “Suppose so. Takes a bit to get used to, but your teeth’ll thank ya!” he said and started back up the path.
Applejack opened the door, “Granny, I’m back! I got the letter! And we got a visitor!”
Granny Smith walked into the room from the kitchen, “A visitor?” she took a look at Tater, “My he’s a biggun ain’t he?”
Tater nodded and smiled, “Howdy ma’am! I was just hopin’ to get a drink. My throat’s a bit dry at the moment, ‘cough’!”
“You got any of your lemonade Granny?” Applejack asked.
“Course I do!” Granny beamed, glad to have company. She led them inside, “It’s in the kitchen like always, but you better hurry ‘fer Big Mac and Applebloom drink it all.”
Applejack, Granny and Tater walked into the kitchen.
“Hey Applejack,” Big Mac and Applebloom greeted their sister, then noticed the guest.
“Who’s yer friend?” Big Mac asked.
“This is Idaho Potato. He was headin’ down the road and we got to talkin’” she explained, “He was thirsty so I invited him in for a drink. Ya'll don’t mind, right?”
Big Mac took another sip of lemonade, “Nnnope.”
Applebloom smiled and shook her head.
With that out of the way, they all sat down at the table. Granny gave their guest a glass and poured it to the top full of lemonade.
He gulped it down and let out a big, content sigh, “Now that’s some of the most refreshing lemonade I ever drank.”
“Heeheee! Well now ain’t you a sweet un’,” Granny cackled as she refilled his glass.
“Not at all ma’am, I’m just tellin’ the truth. Haven’t had lemonade that good since the Mrs. passed, rest her soul.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Applejack apologized, “How long were you married?”
Tater rubbed the back of his head, “Well, we never made it official, couldn’t. Her family didn’t like me at all so every time we tried to have a ceremony one of her kin would cause a commotion and ruin it. So we just decided to move away without tellin’ no body and hope they never found us.”
“That sounds like one of them mushy romance books Sweetie Bell and I found at Rarity’s house,” Applebloom said, sticking out her tongue.
Everypony laughed.
“I suppose it does, little lady. Bet I could make some bits if I wrote it down. Course I’d have to learn how to write,” he joked.
“You can’t write?” Granny asked.
Applebloom tilted her head, “But that’s the first thing they teach you in school ain’t it?”
Tater finished the last sip of lemonade before answering, “Yeah, but I never went to a school, and my folks never had the time to teach me with all the work there was to do. That’s one of the reasons my wife’s family never liked me. What was it they used to say? Oh yeah, “You uneducated flightless excuse for a moron,” he laughed, pleased with his imitation of somepony who sounded an aweful lot like a drill instructor.
The Apples chuckled at his impersonation.
Then Applejack had a thought, “Flightless? So your wife was a Pegasus?”
“Yes ma’am! My Aurora was the prettiest Pegasus I ever seen,” Tater closed his eyes as he remembered his dearly departed wife.
Applebloom was the next to ask a question, “If you had had a wife, would that make you a mon-mona-monogamist?”
“Applebloom!” Applejack scolded, “That ain’t somethin’ you just ask somepony!”
Applebloom frowned and looked over to Tater, “Sorry Mr. Potato.”
He gave her a sympathetic smile, “Daaawww! Think nothin’ of it little lady. Yeah, we was a duo, course there was that sweet filly that stopped by askin’ directions that ended up….uh, never ya'll mind that. Not a story for mixed company. Ahehe,” the old stallion blushed.
Applebloom looked confused, “I don’t get it.”
Granny’s eyes darted from side to side looking for something to say, “Uh, I’ll tell ya when yer older, now run along and play with them Crusader friends a yours,” she said, shuffling Applebloom out of the room before their guest lets anything else slip.
The little filly got a sour look on her face, “Awww, but Granny! That’s what you said when I asked what those birds were doin’ to that beehive!”
Applejack and Mac shook their heads. Then Applejack asked, “So, would you like somethin’ to eat? Lunch is over but we got some leftovers if you’d like to hang around and talk a bit.”
He shook his head, “I’d like that very much ma’am, but I can’t. See, I’m in a hurry! I’m followin’ a lead I got on a pony I been searchin’ a long time for, and I don’t want to miss em’.”
“Who?” Mac asked.
“My daughter, Tater Tot Potato. Course I think she changed her name a long time ago.”
Applejack beamed, “Well, I could help with that! I know just about everypony in Ponyville.”
“You sure that wouldn’t be too much trouble now?” he asked
“Shoot no!” she laughed, “It’d be my pleasure to help you find your little girl.”
Tater pulled AJ into a hug that would make a bear’s back pop, “I don’t know what to say! Tanks ma’am!”
Applejack blushed at the amount of gratitude, “Don’t think nothin’ about it, and call me Applejack.”
“Well Applejack, I’m ready to go if you are!” Tater said, excited to be so close to meeting his daughter again after so long.
Applejack tilted her hat forward, “Sure thing partner!”
The two ponies raced out of the house and galloped towards town.
Author's Note
Here's the revised version. Please tell me about any spelling or punctuation errors, but don't be a douche about it.
