The two cold gray slabs stood there as a testament to the lives her parents had lived. Their names were gently carved into the surface with the same passionate gentleness of two lover's mark on a tree.
Applejack Sighed.
"Don't be mad at Mac," she traced a hoof across her father's name, "he hasn't forgotten either of you he just remembers you in his own way."
The wind picked up, carrying her tresses out behind her. The orange mare looked up to gage the sky; a cold gray thing more disheartening than the cold gray stones before her. Removing her hoof from the grave stone she rubbed her shoulder awkwardly.
"You know I don't know why I come here anymore, Mom. I know that you wouldn't want me to keep vigil when I could honor your memory by just living the way you taught me. But, I can't just do that you know. I've got to do this and I won't do like my brother or even my sister and pretend this is just another day."
Removing her hat she hid her face. Tears streamed down her face, tracing salty lines down her soft cheeks.
"I hate trains!" she spat.
Immediately after she said it she flinched as a clap of thunder roared in the distance. Again the wind picked up this time blowing seemingly form two different directions ripping the hat from her head.
"Hey! Come back here you!" yelled AJ in a cracked voice as she chased after her hat. The old Stetson danced amongst the grave stones finnally comeing to a stop against a statue of a pegasus stallion with his wings proudly held out like some bastion of hope and strenght. She took the hat into her mouth and started to turn away.
"Sniff," came a small voice hidden from her view. AJ perked her ears and slowly peeped around the statue.
A small orange coated pegasus filly with a shock of magenta splashed across her head, sat there with drooping wings. Her lip was trembling as she quietly sobbed.
"What are you doing here, Sugar cube?" asked AJ with a cracked voice after placing her hat on her head.
Scootaloo's eyes went wide and she started to bolt. AJ whipped around the statue intercepting the filly before she could get very far.
"Move!" shouted Scootaloo after AJ poked her in the chest to stop her.
Pulling her hoof back a hurt look crossed AJ face, "Alright."
Scootaloo started to stomp off. The wind picked up again tossing her mane aside revealing her eyes. Stopping in her tracks she said, "I can't do this anymore."
AJ's ears pivoted forward, "What was that?"
Scootaloo turned and sighed. Her normal cocksure look was broken as her muscles hung slack on her frame, "Can I... Can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure as hay you can. A friend of Apple Bloom is a friend to me," said AJ with a wide smile. AJ regretted smiling as Scootaloo dropped her head. After a few moments she walked back over to the statue and placed her hoof on the brass name plate.
"Miss Applejack I want you to meet—," Scootaloo choked back a sob, "my Dad."
AJ's mouth dropped open. She had never had the chance to meet Scootaloo's parents but she had always figured that like many parents they were very busy. She never thought about the possibility that Scootaloo had lost someone. Scratching the back of her head AJ opened her mouth to speak but couldn't think of anything to say.
"You lost your parents too. Does it ever stop hurting?" Scootaloo wiped her nose and then took a deep breath.
The cowmare walked over and wrapped her hoof around the filly and pulled her into a tight hug. Scootaloo started to pull away only to bury her face into AJ's chest before she started to sob. Dropping her head, AJ rubbed the little filly's back. I'm such a bad pony. I hope that you can forgive me for being so self-absorbed, mom, thought AJ.
Scootaloo pulled her head away and then looked up, placing her chin gently looking up to the mare that had held her in her moment of weakness. Green eyes meet the light purple of her own a slight smile tickled the edge of her lips. It feels good to just cry it out, thought Scootaloo.
AJ ran a hoof through Scootaloo's mane, "I won't lie to you, Scoots. The pain of losing somepony you care about never really goes away but, they never really go away."
Scootaloo blinked a few times.
"When a pony loves you that love never really goes away," AJ looked up to the sky. The sun's glow burned through the clouds, "Look there," added AJ as she pointed at the suns glow through the clouds.
Looking up, Scootaloo said, "what about it?'
AJ smiled, "When a pony shows you how much they love you they shine like the sun. When their gone that love is covered by clouds just like the sun is now. But, just like that sun we can still feel the glow and we can know that where ever they are know that they still love us and always will."
"I guess that makes sense," said Scootaloo.
"There is no guessing about it, Sugar Cube," said AJ as she released Scootaloo. AJ walked closer to the statue before she placed her hoof on it, "Look here Mr. Scootaloo. I want you to know that you raised a fine filly. And I'm proud to call her my friend," AJ looked over her shoulder and gave Scootaloo a soft smile, "And I hope that with your blessing she can call me friend as well."
Scootaloo hiccupped and then blushed, "You're my friend Miss Applejack."
"Just call me Applejack. All my friends do," said AJ with a smile.
Moving away from the stone, AJ dropped her hat on Scootaloo's head. Scootaloo giggled and then bumped shoulders with AJ. After a few moments, Scootaloo tipped her hat back and bit her lip.
"How come you were here today, Applejack?" asked Scootaloo hesitantly.
AJ thought for a moment, "come on and I'll show you." She led Scootaloo back to where she was sitting before her hat got stolen by the wind. The filly's mouth dropped open as she realized what AJ was showing her.
"Bloom never said anything about, this," said Scootaloo gesturing with a hoof.
Applejack winced.
"Applejack?" asked Scootaloo lowly.
AJ shook her head before turning back, "Ponies deal with loss differently. I think that Bloom deals with it by trying not to remember. Not that she has much to remember any ways but still. Me on the on the other hoof, I like to remember. Even if it hurts, I don't want to forget."
Scootaloo watched as AJ's eyes welled up with tears. She didn't even have to think to figure out what she had to do. Galloping over to the mare she forcefully hugged her. Scootaloo nuzzled AJ's chest.
AJ hiccupped, "I'm being a silly filly arn't I."
"Nope," said Scootaloo as she looked up, "Loving some pony isn't silly at all."
AJ laughed.
Dropping her ears Scootaloo looked away trying to hide her blush.
"What is it Scootaloo?" asked AJ as she removed the Stetson from Scoots' head.
Rolling her eyes Scootaloo looked back at Applejack, "That sounded way cooler in my head."
Applejack started to giggle at Scootaloo's sentiment before dropping the hat back on the fillies head, "Alright Rainbow Dash."