Love is the strongest thing in the universe, because it transforms us and makes us more than we were before. You have never been equine if you have never loved somepony more than yourself; you have only been a very clever sort of animal.

—Basketbridges, famous unicorn love poet

Ponyville, 5 years ago

Pinkie’s end of summer parties were legendary in Ponyville. It was a statement that was made even grander by the fact that most of Pinkie’s parties were legendary in Ponyville.

But if Pinkie went all out for most of her parties, in planning the end of summer party, she went overboard. Fire pits had been placed strategically around the town plaza, hundreds of bright white fairy lights hung from building to building. Wooden tables with white linen tablecloths peppered the area, each layered with a full spread of pastries and cakes, chips, and other such victuals.

The party was some three hours in already, and as the sky gradually darkened, those attending became increasingly buzzed with the effects of alcohol.

“Who wants to play spin the bottle?” An intoxicated Rainbow Dash slurred to nopony in particular, holding an empty bottle under one wing as she drunkenly leered at everypony in her line of vision, most of whom were the members of her weather team.

“Most of us are paired off, Dash,” Cloudchaser snorted, hugging herself close to Thunderlane. “‘Sides, nopony’d wanna make out with you anyway.”

Those within earshot laughed uproariously.

“Psh. I’ve got…” Dash slurred, raising a foreleg to motion in an exaggerated manner, and swaying dangerously on her remaining three hooves. “I’ve got tons of fillies knocking down my door. You don’t even know.”

“Uh huh.”

“Why didn’t you bring one of them with you, then, Dashie?” Silverwing teased.

Rainbow paused, seemingly thinking this over very, very carefully and incredibly hard. “Whatever, you guys,” she decided eventually, apparently having not found a good enough answer to Silverwing’s questions. “I’m gonna go find my real friends.”

Good-natured jeers sounded behind her as she turned around and started stumbling and swaying away.

“Hey, maybe one of them will wanna make out with you!” Somepony called, and laughs run out. Rainbow herself snickered and shook her head.

After a bit of walking in circles and weaving through different cliques, she found most of her group.

“Hey, where’s AJ and Pinks?” she asked, stepping up to Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy and furrowing her brow as if this confused her greatly.

“I believe they went to the Everfree, for some reason,” Rarity informed her, looking towards the distant outcrop of dark trees. “Though I can’t imagine why.”

“I think Applejack wanted to show her something,” said Fluttershy.

“Knowing them, they’re probably making out somewhere,” Rainbow grumbled, glaring at the Everfree in the distance.

“No need to be jealous, Rainbow,” Rarity sniffed. “I think it’s wonderful that they’ve found each other.”

“I’m not jealous,” Rainbow snapped.

“Just try and be happy for them. I know it can be hard, but they’re your friends, and they’re in love,” Twilight mediated, settling a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder that was immediately brushed off.

“Jeez. What’s with everypony picking on me tonight?” Dash groused, and then, seeing three sets of eyes pleading with her, she sighed. “Yeah, alright, fine. It’s awesome that they’re together, or whatever.”

“Complaining won’t do anything, dear.” Rarity’s eyes sparkled. “Besides, ever since they came back from Tall Tale, neither have taken off a certain accessory. Single ladies, they are not.”

She squealed then, overjoyed by the development.

Rainbow blinked. “Wait, you mean…?”

Rarity scoffed. “Oh heavens, darling. It wouldn’t kill you to be at least a bit more observant.”

“I thought they were like… trinkets or something,” Rainbow defended lamely.

“Right,” Twilight said dryly. “They just happened to have matching ‘trinkets’ that look like rings,”

“So, they’re engaged?” Rainbow squeaked.

As if sensing that they were the topic of conversation, Applejack and Pinkie stumbled up to their friends, then. Applejack’s mane was mussed, the ever present red ties nowhere to be found. Pinkie was giggling and falling all over her, reaching over to plant sloppy kisses on Applejack’s cheek every few seconds.

“Hee-eey guys,” Pinkie sung, probably drunk but maybe not. The couple sat down together, so close their hindquarters were touching.

“Where have you two been?” Twilight asked, smiling knowingly, if only because she knew where they’d been, and could deduct what they’d been doing. As could everypony else.

“Oh, you know…” Applejack said nonchalantly. She motioned with a hoof. “...Out.”

“Nice hickey, AJ,” Rainbow snorted. Applejack’s hoof shot to her neck and dots of color rapidly appeared on her muzzle.

“Damn it, Pinks,” she grumbled, leaning against her inamorata. Their friends, however, were more focused on the tiny silver rings hanging around both of their necks, gleaming proudly.

“AJ,” Pinkie cooed, bringing her face unnecessarily close to Applejack at the volume she was speaking. “Can you get me some water? I’m thirsty.”

Applejack nodded, eyeing her friends eyeing the ring around her neck. She untangled herself from Pinkie and stood, wobbling on unsteady hoofs. Pinkie’s eyes followed her lovingly until the crowd engulfed her from view.

Rarity sidled up to Pinkie. “So, spill.”

“Heeey,” Pinkie objected, brows furrowing. “That’s AJ’s seat.”

“Oh, I’ll get out of it when she comes back,” Rarity dismissed. She then motioned to the ring around Pinkie’s neck.

“What’s with the ring?” Rainbow asked before Rarity could, glaring at the band with distaste.

Pinkie giggled and smiled widely. “It’s a secret. Applejack told me I can’t tell you we’re going to be together forever.”

Upon hearing this, Rarity and Fluttershy squealed at the top of their lungs, Rarity right into Pinkie’s ear. Rainbow grumbled, and Twilight grinned, and those within earshot started muttering excitedly.

“So, details, details!” Rarity cried excitedly. “How did it happen? Were you two in a restaurant? Did she kneel? Did you cry?”

“I bet she did it in a field somewhere with the stars above you,” Fluttershy said.

Pinkie giggled. “Of course not! I was the one who asked her.”

There was silence.

“Wow,” Rainbow uttered. “Nice, Pinks.”

“Yeah,” Pinkie’s eyes glazed over in memory, or maybe it was because of the alcohol. “We were watching the sunset, on the beach, and it’d bought them from this old mare.”

“Then what happened?” Twilight asked when Pinkie paused.

“Well, I showed them to Applejack, and Applejack told me to ask her. So I did. I knelt down in the sand, and she took off her hat, and I asked.”

“And, she said yes?” Rainbow asked. Deadpan stares were shot at her. “Just making sure,” she defended.

“Yeah,” Pinkie sighed dreamily, and then perked up. “Oh! That reminds me! Applejack’s hat fell off in the woods while we were playing. I don’t think she ever picked it up again.”

All three of her friends blushed and averted their gazes. Pinkie bounced off happily.

After a long minute, Applejack came stumbling back with a water bottle in her mouth. Said water bottle promptly fell out of said mouth when the ponies around her suddenly exploded into applause.

“If I may speak on behalf of everypony, Applejack, congratulations!” Twilight beamed at Applejack, hammering her foreleg up and down.

Even in her inebriated state, it took no time for Applejack to connect the dots. She sighed. “Pinkie told, huh?”

“Before she said a word, the rings around your neck spoke volumes, darling,” Rarity chuckled, hugging Applejack.

“Oh, I’m so happy for you, Applejack!” Fluttershy squealed, hugging her after Rarity was done.

“Yeah, yeah,” Applejack said, blushing furiously. “It’s, uh, pretty exciting.”

“Do you have a date set yet?” Rainbow asked in a low voice. Applejack met her eyes, lips thinning in something like an apology.

“Next summer.”

“Mm.” Rainbow’s eyes flicked from side to side, seemingly fighting an internal battle. Finally she stepped up and gingerly hugged Applejack. “I’m… happy for you, AJ,” she choked out, but not because she didn’t mean it.

“Thank you, Rainbow,” Applejack whispered back. When they pulled away from each other, Applejack looked around.

“Now, where’s that filly gone off to?” She asked.

“You mean your fiancee?” Rarity teased.

Applejack rolled her eyes, and braced herself. “Yeah, Rare. Where’s my fiancee.”

Dammit. She still got the shivers when saying that word. One would think that repeating it in her head every time she saw Pinkie… and out loud when she was alone in bed, smiling at the shadows along the ceiling like an idiot because she’d got the mare.

She knew she would probably be getting those shivers the entire year, until next summer, when Pinkie became her wife.

Ohhhhh. Wife. Five years minimum, to get rid of those shivers. Forever, maximum.

“She went to retrieve your hat from the Everfree. Because, as she said, it ‘fell down while you were playing’,” Rarity joshed, and then giggled when Applejack went bright red.

“Well, I guess I should go after her, then. Lest she be mauled by something in there,” Applejack said when her blush had subsided.

She departed from her group and made slow, stumbling progress through the crowd of ponies. Several times she was stopped and congratulated and had to make small talk about this or that, but mostly the wedding. Ponies wanted to know when the date was, if they’d decided on a place, everything down to the flavor of the cake. The flavor of the cake, as it were, was the only detail besides the general date that Applejack knew for sure, and that was mostly due to the fact that this detail was the first thing that had been decided about their wedding, even before the date. And so it was with great pride that Applejack announced to those who asked that they were having chocolate-apple-swirl cake. Because, why not?

Chuckling, she made her way through the darkened forest, and it amazed her how nonthreatening it seemed. It was beautiful, even.

Suddenly, she opened her mouth and laughed like a lunatic, for absolutely no reason. Or perhaps there was a reason. Perhaps love was the reason.

Love was a good reason, at that. Love made scary jungles full of dark magic seem like paradise. Love made life brighter, happier. Love made one laugh like a lunatic, and have chocolate-apple-swirl cake, with Moose Tracks ice cream, at their wedding; just because!

Truly it was; with love one was crazy, and the most sane pony in the universe. With love one was ready for everything, and nothing. One could do everything, and be the weakest pony in existence. One had the greatest strength of all, but also the greatest weakness of all.

In that moment, Applejack felt as though the world was hers. Because she was in love.

She sped up into a gallop, feeling invincible, laughing the entire time at the top off her lungs. She galloped until she came to the clearing where her and Pinkie had made love repeatedly not an hour ago. They’d made love there with a playful wrestle, as they always did. Or at least, that had been how they started. Then they had been desperate, and then, the third time, Pinkie had been forceful and rough. The fourth, Applejack had been forceful and rough. The last time, nearly spent, they were gentle.

In all those times, they were loving.

The place they made love had started on the ground there, then Pinkie had slammed her against that tree over there, and when it was Applejack’s turn, she’d dragged Pinkie over into the lake. It was the same lake where they’d met that sea serpent all those years ago.

Applejack focused on the lake, suddenly feeling as if something was amiss. Where was Pinkie?

“Pinkie?” She called out, approaching the river. A hint of pink among the dark water that reflected the starry sky, and Applejack stopped dead.

No.

Distantly, she felt herself break into a full on gallop, and then felt the cool wetness as she entered into the water. Distantly, she heard herself scream Pinkie’s name, again and again and again.

Pinkie was floating lazily in the swollen river, face down. When Applejack reached her, she was cooler than the water that surrounded them.

She never breathed, even when Applejack pumped at her chest for an hour. She never opened her eyes, even when Applejack begged her, and then every deity that existed.

She never spoke, laughed, sung again. She would never marry Applejack. Never throw another party.

Ponyville, Present

Applejack blew the steam from her coffee before taking a sip. She winced, and dumped two more sugar cubes into the drink, and then stirred. She took another sip, smacked her lips, and grinned in satisfaction. She looked outside across the street.

Ponyville was exactly as she’d left it; bad coffee and all.

Rarity and Twilight watched her do all of this in silence.

“So, how’s the farm?” Applejack asked, looking between them. “Either of you know?”

Rarity scoffed. “You ask so casually, as if you don’t care. The farm could very well be gone now.”

“Nah,” Applejack dismissed into her coffee cup. “Apples are good at maneuvering around challenges. I’m sure somepony from the family gave them a helping hoof, or maybe they hired a worker. I’m sure it’s fine.”

She said this in a way that suggested she’d been repeating it to herself for a long time. And, it was a little thing that came out of her mouth a second ago: the farm. Not her farm.

“I’m sure they’ve forgiven you, Applejack,” Twilight muttered, and Applejack stared at her in surprise for a very long time. Finally, she tipped her head.

“You’ve gotten better at reading ponies, Twi,” she commented, and then took a drink of her coffee.

Rarity stared at the faded silver ring around Applejack’s neck. “You still wear that?”

She received a kick from Twilight for her trouble, but Applejack didn’t even blink before answering.

“Why not? It keeps ponies away, and it reminds me of her.”

“Is that healthy?” Rarity asked, wincing at the ring as if she was afraid of it.

“Doesn’t matter to me, frankly. All I know is it makes me happy,” Applejack replied nonchalantly. “Also, my coffee’s half done so you’d better hurry up with the questions.”

“Where have you been?” Twilight prompted sharply. Applejack shrugged.

“Where haven’t I been?”

“Start from the beginning,” Rarity suggested.

“That’s a story that spans longer than one cup of coffee,” Applejack said with cool amusement, and then swigged the rest of her cup. “And it looks like I’m all out. Be seeing you ladies later, I suppose.”

She made motions to get up from the booth, but Rarity and Twilight blocked her path in an instant. She raised a brow at them. “Move.”

“No,” Rarity said simply.

They made eyes at each other, of all kinds, for a long while.

“You’re really going to keep me here against my will until I tell you the story, huh?” Applejack asked, mirth lighting her tone. Her eyes were furious, however. It was an interesting little trick, suppressing emotions, and Twilight wanted to find out where Applejack had picked it up. She didn’t have it when she’d left Ponyville.

“Very well,” Applejack said crisply, like she was keeping herself from biting the words out. “Your time, not mine.”

She relaxed herself in the booth, and raised her cup to a waiter that was walking the other way. “You ladies gonna sit or not?” Applejack asked, after the waiter nodded.

Rarity and Twilight squeezed into the side of the booth that Applejack occupied, shuffling Applejack uncomfortably against the wall.

The booth was not meant to hold three on one side.

Rarity and Twilight did not care.

“Right,” Applejack growled dryly. “No running away. Got you.”

“Just tell us, and then you can go,” Twilight said. “I mean, it was really surreal for everypony. One minute you’re there, working on your farm, playing horseshoes with Dash, and then next day you just vanished.”

“Do you remember the summer before she died?” Applejack asked. “Or, I guess, the summer that she died?”

“What? The trip you two took?” Twilight asked, and Applejack smiled in an unreadable manner.

“That’s the one,” she whispered, lost in memories. “It all begins then. Isn’t it funny how life will give you the best thing you never thought you wanted, and then take it away just when you realize you can’t live without it?”

Rarity and Twilight glanced at each other, not particularly sure they wanted to hear the story anymore. Applejack spouting poetic phrases was a scary thing to behold.

Author's Note

From here on the story splits. And, really, it's up to you what you wanna read. The odd chapters will be ApplePie fueled shipping goodness. The even will be Applejack's journey. You don't have to read Applejack's journey if you don't want to, but I'd recommend it. March in like a soldier, if you want, but bear in mind that it gets slightly dark in places.