P.S. I Miss You
By Monsieur Dufresne
Luna’s dark night had set upon Ponyville. However, it was not cold nor pitch black. The sky was well lit by a bright moon and many sparkling distinct stars forming constellations of ponies and heroes of old across the sky. A crisp, cool yet gentle breeze blew through Ponyville’s well-known Sweet Apple Acres carrying the sweet scent of apple blossoms with it. The wind whistled over toward a lone hill in the orchard, isolated yet well cared for, where a lone mare sat near a pair of graves. Her Stetson was tipped solemnly as she laid a bouquet near one of the stones in particular that she had clutched tightly in her hoof. The occasion was not one of mourning; that had passed long ago. This was simply a visit. Not that visits were a rare occurrence, this was simply a more special one. After all, it was Mother’s Day.
Applejack sighed wearily. It had been a long day of apple bucking. She knew her siblings would be along shortly and she had but a short time here on here own. Work with the trees had been busy lately and the farm had taken up more of her time than she wished. She regretted having not visited in a while but, as she knew quite well by now, her parents would not mind the wait.
She and her brother had not had too much of a childhood. With Applebloom an infant and Granny Smith too old for field work, the vast majority of the responsibilities of the farm had fallen on Applejack and Big Macintosh. Granny Smith did what she could and proved as excellent as any resident of the small bustling town could expect. For Granny Smith had been a Ponyville landmark for generations.
Life on the farm was not always an easy life and money was always a concern. Despite the farm’s success the family’s budget was still tight. But Applejack held no ill will. Misplaced anger was a stage of grief she went through long ago. The accident had taken her parents from Applejack and her siblings, but the Apple family was strong. What happened was something nopony had expected. It was nopony’s fault and nopony’s intent. But this was not a night for such thoughts. This was a night to celebrate the somepony special that we have all had in common had some point in our days. This was Mother’s Day.
Applejack looked up to the stars, removing her hat and craning her neck for an optimal view. Many in Equestria associate the stars as lost loved ones. They say if you look hard enough, you will see those you have lost among the constellations, glimmering back at you as if to say they are still here. She began to speak.
“Hey Mom… Dad. Ah… Ah’m Sorry for not vistin’ in a while. The Farm’s been real busy, you’d be might glad to hear that… This is always such a hard time of year. Applebloom… She’s growin’ so fast but she’s still so young. She doesn’t quite understand yet. Every time there’s a parents day or something down at the schoolhouse me, Big Mac and Granny Smith always make sure at least one of us stops by. She isn’t nearly as bad as she used to be. Ah know her seein’ all the other colts and fillies giving gifts to their mothers around this time makes her feel left out but I can tell she’s getting used to it.”
The farm-mare thought back over her phrasing. She sighed, realizing her disapproval at her words.
“Ain’t that a thing to say? Gettin’ used to bein’ an orphan… You know me and Macintosh had time with ya’ll but poor Applebloom, She don’t even remember your faces.”
She could feel the tears starting to well in her eyes once more but at the brink of her breaking point she remembered the reason for her visit. Not to grieve but as a part of a celebration. While it was not always the easiest, the life of the Apple’s was by no means harsh or grueling. This was not a day for tears of mourning. She wiped a few stray drops away with her hoof and continued.
“Ya’ll should she how she’s grown. She, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are so cute in that little club of theirs, the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Ah wish Ah had something like that when Ah was her age. Those three may be a timberwolf-full of trouble sometimes but it’s been a real while since I’ve seen fillies their age get to be such good friends. She is gettin’ so close to gettin’ that cutie mark. If only she would stop all the darned crusading and look at the talents right under her nose she might be gettin’ somewhere. But I know she’ll get it soon, she and Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo, they’ve all worked so hard every single day. By Celestia, you’d think they’d run out of ideas or somethin’…”
Then she broke again. Tears flowing freely as she thought of her younger sister. She was unable to hold it back any longer as she thought of how much her parents would have loved to see the bright young filly Applebloom was becoming.
“Ya’ll would be just so proud of her,” She choked out.
She crumpled down by the stone, sobbing as she lay against its cool comforting surface. She had tried so hard today. Seeing pony after pony stop by to buy apples from her for their mother’s day celebration. Watching everypony so happy and taking this day for granted. Throwing such simple and hardly more than average meals to celebrate that huge part of their existence that Applejack no longer had. Why, if her mother was still here, she would throw her the biggest party Ponyville had ever seen. One to rival even the greatest of Pinkie Pie’s creations. However, it is so easy to think of these things after the fact. So easy to appreciate what is now gone.
“Ah miss you, Ma! I miss you so much, we all do! Granny Smith, Big Mac, Applebloom… and me. It’s just so darn hard bein’ strong for everypony. Big Mac is a natural. It’s like he’s made of stone, he barely says more than a word at a time! But honestly? Despite everything Ah’ve done, faced Nightmare Moon, the Changeling Army, saved the Crystal Empire and Equestria Celestia knows how many times! I would give it all to have ya’ll back…”
She placed her hoof on the stones, as if they were another hoof, one she had long to see again for years, touching her hoof right back. She wiped away her tears and stood back up firmly, looking back to the stars. She hear hoofsteps approaching which signaled her time was almost at its end.
“Ma… Pa… Ah know we’ve done you proud. And thanks… for everything… Ah know we didn’t have nearly as much time together as we should’ve but… nopony could’ve done for us… for me… what you did…”
She heard the hoofsteps settle behind her as she saw out of the corner of her eye in the distant sky, a pair of shooting stars.
“Look Applejack! Shooting stars!”
“Yeah. Yeah I see em. They’re beautiful ain’t they?” answered Applejack as she followed the two shining streaks across the star lit sky with her eyes.
“Eeyup,” said Big Mac, a stallion of few words as always.
“Sorry we’re late, AJ,” Applebloom muttered apologetically.
“It’s alright, little sis,” Applejack said as she pulled the filly close, “Ah was just catchin’ up is all.”
The filly snuggled in close to the mare and the Apple siblings finally, after a long day of hard work, got spend a moment of a very special day with two very special ponies. Three young ponies got to enjoy their moment alone at last. The Apple family huddled together to stay warm from the night’s chill, taking as long as they could to enjoy one of the far too brief moments they had to spend with their parents.
“Happy Mother’s Day, Ma,” whispered Applejack as she and her siblings sat there on that hill in the orchard. They knew they would be just fine. They had a great set of parents even if they did not get to hold on to them nearly as long as they should have. But through good and bad and through life and death, the Apple family will always stick together. Always.
Author's Note
This is my debut story. I hope you enjoyed it and I apologize for probably bumming you out. Happy Mother's Day Everypony!
-M.D.