Author’s Note: Keep in mind as you are reading that pony ageing is like human ageing in this story, rather than animal ageing. Therefore, 4 years old is preschool or toddler age, not full grown like with animals. The mane 6 at the current time are roughly 18 or 19 (AJ is 18, in this story). Anywho, happy reading!
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The Hat
It was an ordinary day in Ponyville. The streets were filled with happy ponies tending to their gardens, and going about their lives. There were no clouds in the sky, for Ponyville’s one-pony Weather Patrol Team had cleared them off for scheduled sunshine. The delectable aroma of baking pastries and sweets drifted through the town from the Sugarcube Corner, arguably the best bakery in all of Equestria. A large tree-house near the bakery was open for business; not that it got any, really. A lone unicorn, with the accompaniment of a baby dragon, stood in the middle of what was presumably, a very large library. Just a bit farther away, ponies bustled in and out of Carousel Boutique, paying for lovely dresses and gowns made for special occasions. On the edge of the Everfree Forest, a timid pegasus drifted about, caring for the creatures who lived around her cottage.
Yes, it was a regular day in Ponyville.
However, on the outskirts of said town, something unusual happened. In a large barn at the foot of a very large crop of apple trees, a hardworking orange Earth pony sat doing... nothing.
It was unlike Applejack to do nothing. Sitting there, just looking out at the vast tree-filled land of Sweet Apple Acres, she could not believe that she was the same pony who around this time last year, had deprived herself of much-needed sleep in order to harvest every last apple for the season. But with the help of her friends this year, as well as Big Macintosh, since he wasn’t injured this time, Applejack and the rest of the Apple Family had finished Applebuck Season quickly, and were now left with extra time to themselves.
To Applejack, it all felt a bit unnatural. The mare was so used to working everyday that to not have work all of a sudden was... unsettling. She tried to pass the extra time with her friends, but because they had lent their time to help her, they were all now busy catching up on their own work. Or, in Rainbow Dash’s case... napping.
Therefore, Applejack was just left to sit around Sweet Apple Acres and stare out at the beautiful orchards, simply thinking. It was all she had left to do. The few chores that kept her preoccupied were quickly done, no matter how long Applejack had tried to draw them out in order to do anything but sit and think. It wasn’t that she hated thinking, she just simply didn’t want to. When most of your life is spent working day in and day out, most of your thoughts are work. With no work left, there wasn’t anything left to think about. Or at least, nothing very interesting to think about.
Applejack sighed and continued to stare out at the rolling hills of Sweet Apple Acres. Just then a strong and sudden gust of wind tore through the barn, ruffling Applejack’s mane and lifting her brown Stetson hat off her head, sending it onto the barn floor. She got up and walked over to where the hat had settled. Before she could pick it up, Applejack’s thoughts drifted off. She stared at the finely crafted hat. She had taken care of this hat, so it was still brand-new looking. She could still remember the day she had gotten it.
It was Applejack’s eighth birthday. It was a quiet and secluded birthday, just between family members. And yet, everypony was there. Applejack's brother Macintosh (he wasn’t Big Macintosh yet) was sitting by Granny Smith, rocking back and forth on her faithful rocking chair. Even little Apple Bloom was there, though she was soon put to bed in order to rest; new-born fillies tend to need a lot of peace and quiet. But best of all, Pa stood by the two, something wrapped in paper in his mouth. He wore one of the biggest grins Applejack had ever seen. She loved seeing her Pa so incredibly happy. The very thought made this birthday the best one she had had so far, and she couldn’t wait to have the cake and spend more time with her family. They were all usually working on the farm, and Macintosh was always keeping to himself. Finally spending time with her entire family made Applejack’s heart soar, like one of those fancy pegasus ponies she always saw shooting across the skies.
First, Macintosh helped Granny wheel in one of the biggest cakes Applejack had ever seen. It was decorated with lots of frosting, words and patterns swirled together to create a design on the top of the cake. Even from a few feet away, she could smell the sugary sweetness coming from the frosting; she couldn’t begin to imagine what the cake would taste like. Applejack was so excited now, that she could barely contain it.
“Well c’mon, go ahead,” Macintosh piped up; he was excited too, she could tell. “Make a wish and blow out the candles!”
“Now now, Macintosh,” Granny Smith tutted, pulling a face of mock disappointment. “Ya can’t rush a pony t’make a good wish. Jus’ be patient, now.”
Macintosh grinned. “Ah’m just excited, is all!” He looked at Applejack. “Take yer time... just don’t be too slow!”
Applejack smiled, closed her eyes and thought for a moment. What did she wish for most of all? Hmm, she thought to herself. Well, I always wished that we could all spend more time together... Yeah! That’s it. I wish we could all have more happy memories like these. Especially with Pa. He’s always so unhappy, I wish he could be this happy forever! She opened her eyes again, grinned, and blew out the candles. Everypony stamped their hooves on the ground, cheering for the little orange filly.
“Well then,” Pa spoke up, grinning even more now, if that was even possible. “Would ya like to open up yer presents or have some cake first, Sugarcube?”
“Presents, presents!” Applejack cheered, jumping up and down. She was way too curious as to what Pa could possibly have gotten her to be hungry for cake, no matter how delicious it looked.
Pa chuckled. “Well alrighty then! But ya have to open up Granny Smith’s and Mac’s first. Ah’m savin’ mine fer last.” He sat back now, waiting.
Applejack went over to Granny Smith, who gave her a small pouch. Inside it, were a few bits. Applejack sat back on her haunches, unsure of what to say. She always knew that other ponies had more bits than her family, that they could get nicer things, but Applejack couldn’t remember ever seeing her family give up bits, even if only a few, for a birthday present. Normally, all the extra bits from selling apples went into safe keeping for a rainy day. Applejack just couldn’t believe it.
“Yer Pa and Ah thought ya deserve a little somethin’ t’get ya started. After all, yer almost old enough to help around the farm!” Granny Smith smiled.
“Thank ya Granny,” the little filly said, going up to the elder pony and giving her a hug.
“Yer welcome, half-pint,” she replied, rubbing the filly’s mane, making it all frazzled.
Applejack then stepped down from the rocking chair and went over to Macintosh. He was smiling sheepishly. In his mouth he held an envelope. “Ah know it ain’t much, sis, but it’s the darn best Ah can do fer ya. Ah hope ya have a good birthday either way,” he said quietly.
Applejack opened the envelope to find a brightly colored card. On it was a drawing of Macintosh and Applejack standing in front of countless rows of apple trees; Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack smiled. In the sky, written to look like they were made of clouds, were the words ‘Happy Birthday, Applejack!’
“Thank ya kindly Mac,” Applejack whispered, going up to her older brother and giving him a tight squeeze. He wasn’t one much for showing too much emotion, but right then and there, he did.
“Ah love ya, sis.”
“Ah love ya too, Mac.” Applejack swore she had heard a sniff as she drew back and gently placed Mac’s card next to the small pouch of bits. She then turned to her Pa, smiling from ear to ear. “So whaddya got, Pa?” She was so happy right then that it started to leak out from beneath her composure.
Pa chuckled. “Well close yer eyes, first o’all,” he said. Applejack, though a bit puzzled, did as she was told; she would do anything for her Pa. Moments went by and Pa said nothing. Applejack patiently waited, her hooves in front of her eyes in case her curiosity tried to ruin her surprise by telling her eyes to open. All she heard was the crinkle of paper; she guessed that Pa was getting the surprise out of its box now. She felt something brush past her ears as she sat there, but she didn’t move. Finally, she heard Pa’s voice break the silence. “Alrighty now, ya can open up yer eyes.”
Applejack removed her hooves from over her eyes and opened them. At first, all she saw was Pa standing above her, beaming, and the now-empty box and discarded string and paper all around him. Then Applejack felt, and saw, something slip past her eyes, all around her head. She heard Pa chuckle and felt the object on her head come completely off. She looked up at him. He was holding a hat in his jaw. It was a finely crafted, brown Stetson hat. It was kind of like his own hat, except that it wasn’t made of straw. He placed it back down atop of Applejack’s head, and grinned. “Do ya like it?” he asked.
Applejack jumped up and down until she finally settled and sat on the ground in front of him. “Ah love it!” she screamed jubilantly. However, her jumping and moving around so much caused the hat to slip back over her eyes; it was a great gift, but made for grown up ponies, not little fillies like her, which made it two times too big.
Her Pa laughed. “You’ll grow into it.” Just then, he felt pressure against his chest and looked down to see the orange filly trying to wrap her little hooves around him in a great big hug. He returned the gesture, nuzzling her cheek.
“Ah love ya, Pa,” Applejack whispered.
“Ah love ya too, Sugarcube.”
* * * * *
Applejack looked at the brown Stetson for a moment and tears started to well up in her eyes. This hat held so much in it. It reminded her of her birthday that year, but most of all it reminded her of her Pa. It reminded her of that day...
Applejack was ten now. Ten and three quarters.
She’d been helping her Pa and her older brother on the farm for a year now. She was getting quite good at applebucking. Pa praised her everyday and everyday she tried her best to be even better than the day before. She wanted to prove herself to her Pa. He was, after all, her idol.
Applejack was out bucking the trees as usual. She had gotten through at least 30 trees now, and it was almost lunchtime. Just the other day she’d only gotten roughly 24 trees. Applejack beamed; she was doing what she wanted- proving herself. At this rate, this was going to be the best day ever.
And then everything happened at once.
She heard a scream in the distant hills of the orchard. She saw Granny Smith dash across to the source of the noise as fast as her ageing body could take her. She remembers standing, frozen; what was going on?
She remembered Big Macintosh coming up to her and telling her to go inside. She protested. Big Mac only shook his head and started to nudge her back to the farmhouse. The last thing she saw before the barn door shut behind her older brother and herself was Granny Smith and... Pa?
* * * * *
Granny Smith had explained everything. Applejack felt like her grandma was hesitating as she recalled what had happened, but she mentioned nothing of it. She had learned to stop asking so many questions. Big Mac had told her to be a little less persistent, and she tried for his sake.
Now she sat in a waiting room with said brother, as well as Granny Smith. Both looked as uneasy and haggard as the other felt. There were dark circles under Big Mac’s eyes, which were red from being bloodshot. Granny Smith’s mane was more haywire than ever before, and her mouth sagged in a long frown. Both stared in front of them, unblinking. Lost in thought. Not a word came from either pony. Suddenly, the ticking of the waiting room clock was very unnerving to young Applejack. Her heart pounded in her ears; she still had very little idea of why they were here. She’d never been to a place like this. Granny Smith said it was called a hospital. But... why were they at a hospital? Why was Pa here? What was wrong? Why were Big Mac’s eyes so bloodshot? Why did he look so tired and uneasy? Applejack had so many questions but... nopony was willing to answer.
But after what felt like an eternity, a pony dressed in a white coat came out, levitating a clipboard in front of him. He spoke quiet, but strong words to the Apple family. Applejack didn’t understand most of it. She recognized one word, however. He. He meant Pa. Applejack perked up her ears. This stallion moved forward, and with a light thud, Big Mac and Granny Smith slipped off of the bench and followed suit.
Applejack repeated their actions and she walked down the long corridor, Big Mac just ahead of her. The stallion in the coat pushed the door to a room open with a hoof and titled his head in the direction of the entrance. “You’re free to go and sit down with him. If he isn’t awake however, please don’t wake him. He’s... been through a lot, he needs his rest.”
But he was awake. As the Apple Family trotted slowly down the room, they looked at each bed; a few were empty, but some held patients, who looked a little rough around the edges. At the very end of the row, sat a lone stallion. His golden-orange coat was a little messier than usual. His graying deep red mane was, for the most part, completely shaved down, and bandages were wrapped around his head. His eyes were just as baggy as Big Mac’s and he wore green clothes like the other patients the family had seen as they had walked past. As soon as he saw his family, however, his expression changed to one of false cheer.
“Howdy,” he croaked. He hastily cleared his throat.
Applejack now peeked out from behind her brother. Her expression of hope at seeing her Pa immediately changed to one of shock and sadness. “Pa...” she whispered, barely audible as she stepped forward towards his bed.
“AJ...” That was it; at his words, Applejack dashed forward and threw her short front legs around his chest. She sobbed, her body heaving as the emotions she had held in came to an all time high and leaked out in salty droplets. His heart broke as he stared down at the little orange filly. His daughter, the pony he loved like no other. She reminded him so much of her mother, and maybe that was, secretly, why he had always loved her a little more than Big Mac or Apple Bloom. It wasn’t that he didn’t love all of his children. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t do anything to help them. It was just that she held all of the resounding qualities he had first seen in the mare he had loved. A mare who had shattered his heart like a glass mirror the day she said a final goodbye and drifted into peaceful slumber.
Tears welled up in his eyes. He lifted Applejack’s chin with a hoof and stared into her bright green eyes, which were now glassy with tears. “Sugarcube, don’t cry fer me. Ah’m fine,” he grinned in order to mask a wince as pain shot through his head again.
“B-but, then why are ya h-here?” Applejack sniffed, another tear spilling over from her eye. She stared up at the now bandaged face of her father in sadness and curiosity.
“Ah just... took a little fall, is all,” he lied, smiling hopefully at her. “Don’t you fret, Ah’ll be outta this place in a jiffy.” He winked at her, hoping that his confident stance would cheer her up.
Applejack looked back at her family. Big Mac and Granny Smith were staring on. Both had solemn looks of concern on their faces.
Pa followed her gaze. “Mac,” he spoke quietly, but full of determination. “Ah want you to be the stallion of the family while Ah’m gone. Be the leader on the farm, ya hear?”
Big Mac stared at his father. “E-eeyup,” he croaked, tears starting to form at the corners of his eyes.
“And, make sure lil’ Apple Bloom is taken care of well and proper, Granny Smith,” he continued, staring at his tired old mother. She gave a curt nod.
“And Applejack,” he said, looking down at the filly again. “Sugarcube, make sure ya buck all them apple trees. Buck ‘em ‘til ya can’t buck no more. Never think to yerself ‘Ah can't do it anymore.’ Keep pushin’ through. Do it fer yer Pa.”
At this, Applejack nodded, sniffing back tears. “And Pa?”
“Hmm?”
“Promise me ya’ll will get out of here soon. Promise me ya won’t give this back ‘til ya do.” And with that statement, Applejack tipped the Stetson off of her head and reached up to place it on her Pa’s head.
Tears welled up in his eyes. “Ah- Ah promise ya, Sugarcube.”
* * * * *
It was a month after their visit to the hospital. Applejack had stayed true to her promise to Pa. As fall sneaked up, Applejack pushed herself harder and harder. She bucked every last tree alongside her big brother. Big Mac had kept his promise too; he now took up the role of head of the household. Granny Smith still took care of what Big Mac simply couldn’t do yet, like bills and business deals, but for the most part, Mac did what Pa had always done.
Today, however, it was just Applejack out in the fields, as Big Macintosh had gone to see Pa. Granny Smith was back in the house, most likely snoozing or taking care of Apple Bloom. Applejack shrugged the thought off and put her all into bucking the last few trees that needed to be bucked before lunchtime. She was getting even better everyday at bucking these trees. Her endurance was building; Pa would be so proud if he could see her now.
Some time later, as Celestia’s sun reached its apex in the sky, Applejack began walking back to the farmhouse. She took care to look around at the rolling hills of Sweet Apple Acres. By Celestia, she thought to herself. It sure is beautiful.
As Applejack reached the familiar humble abode she loved so much, she was greeted by Granny Smith, who had Apple Bloom on her back, the little filly giggling wildly. She smiled at the sight. She also saw Big Macintosh, speaking hushed words to Granny Smith. Both had their backs turned to Applejack as she approached them.
“Howdy Big Mac!” Applejack cheered. “How’s Pa?”
Big Mac turned around to look at his younger sister. His eyes were blank and hollow. Dead looking even. It looked like he had seen a ghost, by how terrible he looked. His lips were curled down into a frown. Applejack froze.
“What’s the matter, Big Mac?” she asked hesitantly.
“Applejack...” Big Mac turned again and picked something up off of the ground. When he turned around again to face Applejack, she got a full view.
And there it was. Her brown Stetson hat. The very one she had given to Pa. The one she told him to give back to her when he got back from the hospital.
“S-so where’s P-Pa then?” Applejack asked, tears building up in the corners of her eyes. She knew the answer herself. She knew what had happened. But her own mind wouldn’t let her accept the truth. It couldn’t be true, it told her. Pa would turn the corner of the farmhouse any second now and come up to hug Applejack.
“A-Applejack... Sugarcube,” Granny Smith’s hushed voice stung worst of all. “Y-yer Pa was a strong pony. H-he could stand up to anything. But... his body couldn’t. He...” Her voice trailed off as tears streamed down her face.
“No... no,” Applejack’s eyes widened, and fresh tears fell from her eyes.
“H-he’s gone, AJ. H-he went to go be with Ma.” Big Mac’s voice was hoarse.
This had been very hard on them all, but none took it worse than Applejack. Her Pa... her idol, her mentor, her... everything. Gone. Just like that... It was too much to bare. Applejack collapsed onto the ground in front of her brother and grandmother and sobbed. The wind bit at the wet tears that stuck to her face, but she didn’t care. She didn’t care anymore.
Pa was gone.
* * * * *
The funeral was short and to the point. Very few came. It was mainly only close family and ponies who knew her Pa well. Many cried, while others just stood around, staring forward with an unblinking gaze. Applejack was one of the latter. She had cried herself out. There were no more tears. There was only a bitter, gut wrenching sickness that stuck in her throat. She stared at the grave before her and studied the tombstone with care. ‘Here Lies Apple Cobbler. The Loyalest and Most Dependable of Ponies.’ It wasn’t much, but it held the truest words Applejack had ever seen. After all, Pa always was an honest pony. He deserved honest words in his name.
Most of the ponies had left now. Only three ponies stood beside the freshly dug grave. They said nothing to each other, and they all thought their own thoughts about the kind stallion. But soon enough, the sun was setting across the horizon, and the Apple Family left the sight with a sense of finality. All but one member. A lone orange Earth pony stood in front of the grave. She stared intently at the spot, contemplating what to say.
“Well Pa,” she began hesitantly. “Ah guess this is it then, huh?” She looked around at the trees and at the autumn leaves that rustled around as the wind shook them. It was remarkable how quickly time passed. She had never stopped to notice the changing of the seasons so much. How quickly seasons came and went. They were, until now, just.... there. She looked back at the grave site and tried to speak again. “Ah know ya said Ah shouldn’t cry fer ya Pa, but it was a might hard not to... Ah love ya Pa. And Ah’m gonna miss ya a whole lot. But ya know what Pa?” she asked, determination setting on her face. “Ah’m gonna keep my promise to ya. Ah’m gonna keep buckin’ all those apple trees. Ah’m gonna buck ‘em ‘til Ah can’t no more.” She smiled to herself for a moment before continuing. “But most of all, Pa... Ah’m gonna keep pushin’ through like ya said. Ah promise ya that Pa. Ah promise...”
And she meant every word.
* * * * *
As Applejack stood there, in the barn, staring down at the brown Stetson hat, she smiled at the bittersweet memories that filled her mind. She would never truly shake off those memories. She acted so much like her Pa had; she even spoke like he did. He was everything she strove to be, and she would always carry him with her. It was in everything she did on the farm. It was in the competitions she competed in. It was in every honest word she said.
Applejack gently picked up the hat in her jaw and placed it snugly on top of her head.
You’ll grow into it, Pa had said. Applejack smiled again. Yes, she thought as she trotted out into the bright and sunny orchards of Sweet Apple Acres, I have grown into this hat.