Never lose your sense of wonder
Applejack smiled as she stared up at the beautiful blue sky that morning, loving the way the breeze had blew by her hair. Days like this were always great for apple-bucking, but there was paperwork that needed to be filled, and errands that needed to be completed, so that could wait for now.
She had just begun to make her way towards the open gates, until her sister had rushed past her. She furiously slammed her hat on the ground. "Applebloom!What in tarnation are ya runnin' around willy-nilly like that fer?!"
The young filly giggled and said over her shoulder, "Pinkie Pie's gonna have a party ta' celebrate her n' Discord's anniversary tomorrow! She asked me n' the Crusaders ta help, but Scoolatoo backed out this time... dunno why..." She shook her head, "But ah promise I'll be back by dinner!"
She giggled and nodded, "Alright now, just make sure you don't eat so much sugar ya get a stomach ache!" But her words were laid upon deaf ears.
Applejack sighed as she picked back up her had, and re-adjusted the straps on her saddlebag. Knowing Applebloom, she'd probably be clutching her stomach when she walked on home... better have medicine ready... While she pondered over these things, she took in the sights of Ponyville, and the folks that lived there. Mr. Breezy was just getting his shop open for business, and a salespony was outside the Sofa's and Quills -but mostly Quills- place trying to get a lovely mare to come in.
She trotted by a strange looking stallion with an hour glass, accompanied by the local mailmare and her daughter. The three seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, so she paid them no concern.
She then quickly checked her list again to see what she had left to do, and let out a sigh of relief when there wasn't as much as she thought there would be.
******
"Pa, do ya think ma's gonna be okay?" a young Applejack mumbled, looking up at the large stallion. He bit his lip and didn't reply to her at first. Big Macintosh, who sat beside her, grunted and pawed at the floor.
"What do you think, Big Mac? Do you think ma's gonna be okay? An' our little sis?"
He answered her, though he didn't show her the expression on his face. "It's not in my place ta tell, Applejack. Th' cancer she has could be worse than we thought.... 'specially since the baby took a lot outta her."
The young filly puffed out her chest and shook her head. "Well, ah think she's gonna be jus' fine. She's as tough as nails! Remember the time when she carried me an' you away from that manticore, then came back to buck 'em in the balls? Hahah! Ya should've seen the look on Rarity's face, pa!"
Though her father continued to stay silent, and stared at the door, trying to drown his daughter's voice out to the best of his ability.
******
Twilight smiled at her old friend as she sputtered a response, when she questioned how her date with Caramel went. The mare blushed like a little schoolfilly, taking off her hat.
"W-well, uh, it went fine fer the most part. Caramel was a real gentlecolt, though the poor thing nearly pissed 'imself when Big Mac threatened him not to hurt me." She shook her head in a flustered motion. "Ah'm gonna have a good word with mah brother next time I see 'em."
She giggled, "I'm glad things worked alright with you. When I had my first date with Comet, he tripped over his own hooves as I introduced him to my parents. Hehe, other than that though it was just perfect. If you ever need any advice or books, the library's always open."
Applejack politely declined, silently questioning her friend's choice of reading material. "Thanks for the offer, but ah gotta go. See ya tomorrow, Twah' light."
Twilight couldn't answer her right away however, for she blushed, and became distracted by the colt behind her. "Comet Tail! N-not in front of my friends!"
He smirked at her, his face turning red. "What're you talking about? Oh, hey Applejack."
"Hey...."
******
Sunflower was never a mare to complain much, but she had been laying on that damn couch the whole day, and her large stomach didn't make things any easier. She neighed unhappily, her blonde hair covering her face as she called out to her husband. "Apple Core..." She sniffed, closing her eyes when he turned around.
"Sunflower! Is everything alright? Do you need a glass of water? Do--"
"I don't need anything, Core, I just wanna work on the farm..."
The large stallion sighed, wrapping his hooves around her. "Sunny, you know why we can't let you. The cancer is spreading and any sudden movements could prove to be a disaster."
She let out a whine and buried her face in his shoulders. "I can't believe I'm being treated like a baby while I'm having one."
"I know, I know, you want to be a bad-ass but there's a time and place. I promise, as soon as you're well again, you can buck all the apple trees you desire." He chuckled, looking into her beautiful green eyes.
"Oh, that's not the only thing I'm gonna buck, honey." she smirked at him, blushing violently while he nuzzled her.
"I'll be looking forward to it..." he rolled his eyes and brought his head down to her stomach, placing his ear against it. The baby was moving again, and this time it seemed to be more awake than usual. "Well hey there, little guy."
"Girl." Sunflower hissed, "It's gonna be a girl, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Apple Core pouted, blowing his orange mane out of his face. "Aw, but I'm gonna be outnumbered. Are you sure?"
The look on his wife's face showed no mercy. He sighed, and his lips formed into a wide smile. "Applejack! Big Mac! Who want's to say hi to their little sister this mornin'?!"
"Ah do ah do ah do!" the orange filly came tumbling down the steps, and hopped on the couch.
******
It barely started to rain by the time Applejack made it halfway cross town, causing her to glance up at the cloudy sky. She knew it was going to rain today, but she didn't keep track of the time while she was shopping-- she better hurry, if she doesn't want to get soaked. Rainbow Dash flew past her quickly following another blue blur (to which she assumed was Soarin, the two had been hanging out a lot lately) and into shelter. She had called out to her friend under the roar of thunder in the distance, but Applejack couldn't hear.
She chuckled and shifted her hat. Those two are like a couple of parasprites durin' mating season... jeez... however, something else was on her mind that day, so it caused her to make a detour, and down a different path from Ponyville. Not many ponies visited this place much, for it had the same eerie feel as the Everfree Forest. But Applejack had gotten used to it; she had seen stranger things in this lifetime. She smirked when she remembered Discord's face every time Pinkie Pie kisses him. He's been softening up lately, and each time it turns an even deeper shade of red than before. It sure was a funny sight to see, and she knew it'll never get old. Everybody was falling in love with each other now; that was a strange thing in its own right.
She blushed at the thought of her own sweetheart, a young, hard working stallion by the name of Caramel. Though he may come off as shy, and often frustrating, his determination to work on the farm even in the toughest environments earned her heart. She didn't know how it happened, but she fell for him, and slowly he did in return.
"Gettin' pretty bad now," Applejack murmured to herself, looking up at the sky as the rain poured down on her. The mud underneath her feet made a squishing sound every time she walked. She glanced around her at the scenery; there were less trees, and gravel met grass at the end of the road. Ponyville was nothing but a small speck in the distance, and she could see her barn a few yards ahead. She sighed, "But Ah can't turn back yet-- havta say hello to ma an' pa." nodding once to herself, she trudged onward, closing her eyes as she listened to the birds fluttering nearby.
******
"Big Mac... is pa mad at me?"
The two ponies were inside the kitchen then, eating lunch alone while their father was upstairs. Their poor mother unfortunately didn't make it, but at her last breath, she gave Applejack her hat to remember her by. The little filly was happy and healthy when they finally met her, but only the youngest of the family rejoiced. She had named her Apple Bloom, because she was gonna do just that- grow into a beautiful flower much prettier than the world they lived in now. It was ironic, but Big Mac didn't say anything about the matter.
And he really didn't want to say anything right now, either.
Applejack pressed on. "Ah mean, I haven't been fair to mah all these years... A-ah always put the extra load of work on her. Maybe if ah... maybe if ah jist spent some time with her, an' him, do ya think he'd smile a bit more?"
He sighed, staring at the food in his plate.
"E...eyup."
"Ah thought so too... ah'm gonna see what he's doin' now! Ya can finish those apple fritters, Big Mac!" With a giggle, Applejack grabbed her little sister in her hooves and put her on her back, her mission to see her father one more time. Unfortunately, they soon heard a big bang, and the red stallion pushed Applejack aside so he could check out what happened first. When he saw the terrible sight, that was the first time he actually allowed himself to cry.
*******
"Mornin', ma an' pa," She sniffed, taking off her hat. "Sorry it's been so long since Ah've seen ya, but ah'm glad ah managed to come by today." She placed her saddlebag in front of her and lay down. "The farm's doin' great, we got a big sale with Mr. Filthy earlier this week. Even though ah wanted ta kick his flank after what his daughter did to Apple Bloom. Ah told 'em straight up, if she keeps on bein' the way she is, we won't sell with him. Heheh, mah you woulda been real proud, his face was so red when he walked away.
"An Caramel is still clumsy as ever, though ah try not to yell at him. Ah would never know why in Celestia's name did ah fall for that colt, but, he swept me off mah hooves. Ah remember one of yer stories mah, the first time you an' pa met. Yer the one who gave 'em a kiss first, causing him to blush like a crazed schoolfilly. Ah wish ah was more like you ma, more confident in ma actions around him. Ah really think he's the one fer me, but ah just know ah'll do somethin', or somepony'll do somethin' ta buck it up," she sighed and shook her already wet mane. "Yer right, ah'm just worryin' too much. Just gotta keep mah head strong, and... wear it with the apple family pride. Thanks fer remindin' me, ma." She smiled over at her father's grave. "And pa, you'd be proud of Big Mac- he took ma friend Fluttershy out on a moonlight date yesterday. Treatin' her good, ah tells ya. She's changed for the better, and so has he. Ah'm sure you'd love the mare if ya ever met her. She's a little shy though, so don't act all intimidatin'."
Applejack reached out to her saddlebag and placed a blue flower on both of their graves. "Ah'll make sure ah come by tomorrow, but ya really never know what'll happen. This town jus' keeps on getting crazier an' crazier," She chuckled at the memories and stood up, strapping the bag back on her shoulders. "Well, I love ya." She sighed, and began to trot down the road.
She was almost out of the area when a sniffle stopped her dead in her tracks, causing her to turn her head towards the sound. A tiny orange filly was hunched over, her wings flattened by the rain. Scootaloo...? What're ya doin' here? She thought worriedly. Then she suddenly remembered what Apple Bloom had told her earlier, and sighed. So this is where ya decided to go... poor baby. Shaking her head, she trotted over to her, and wrapped her hooves around her. She let out a scream and tried to break away from her, but when she noticed it was Applejack, Scootaloo calmed down stopped thrashing about. She buried her face into her mane, and the two didn't say anything for a while.
For there was nothing else that was needed to be said; just the comfort in knowing that their families are still with them, though maybe not in body anymore, but in spirit. The times that they were here were the ones they should cherish, because it just wouldn't be fair to anypony.
