Rainbow Dash sat on the couch in Applejack’s living room, kicking her hooves a few inches above the ground. It was close to the evening and the setting sun was creating a masterpiece of colors outside the window. Rainbow watched the sun slowly sink underneath the horizon as she waited for Applejack to come back downstairs. The Apple Family Reunion was right around the corner, just a few weeks away, and Applejack wanted to make sure this would be the best one yet. Dash just hoped she’d be able to fit in with all of her marefriend’s family members.
The two mares had made it official a few months ago. Their friends weren’t very surprised by their announcement as they’d always had a hunch there was a thing between the two, but they were happy all the same. Their relationship was still in the early stages, though; they weren’t living together yet and hadn’t begun to discuss tying the knot, though they both had their own separate plans for that in their heads.
“Whew, finally found them!” Applejack called as she descended the stairs, carefully balancing two photo albums on her sturdy back. They seemed to be arranged by condition, with the more worn out one placed on the bottom.
“Yeah, it only took you, like, three years!” Dash joked before helping AJ with the albums. She couldn’t pass up the chance to tenderly brush her tail against her marefriend’s cutie mark, smiling sweetly at Applejack as she giggled.
“I should probably get to spring cleaning around here soon; it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack up there,” Applejack complained, removing her signature brown hat before placing it on the coat rack standing next to her.
“Spring cleaning? Sounds boring and lame, but we could probably finish it in, well, 10 might be pushing it, so I’ll say 20 seconds flat,” Dash guessed as she sat back on the couch, her tail curling next to her flank.
“With that way Big Mac keeps his room, it’ll be more like 20 hours,” Applejack added, taking a seat next to Dash.
The two photo albums, titled Friends and Apple Family, were spread out on the coffee table in front of them, holding decades of memories between their hoof-fashioned covers. The nostalgia practically leaked out onto the worn, wooden table.
“Now, before we even start planning for the reunion, I should probably tell you all about my family; some of them can be quite the hoof-full,” Applejack informed Rainbow Dash.
“Okie dokie, sounds cool to me!” she replied, immediately flipping open the album titled Friends and flashing through the pages.
When she stopped, she saw a photo of Applejack and Twilight during her first Winter Wrap-Up in Ponyville. The two ponies were both in good spirits, Twilight appearing to be in the middle of a laugh, her ears slightly tilted back and her hoof placed just below her chin. In her hoof, Applejack held a pile of dirt with a tiny seedling in the middle; Dash assumed it was for an apple tree. In the background, the sun was high in the sky and warmed the melting piles of snow scattered about Sweet Apple Acres.
“Hey, I remember this! This was way, way back; Twilight doesn’t even have wings yet,” Dash chirped, turning the book so Applejack could look at it.
“Heh, sure was a long time ago. I sure did make Twi upset when I yelled at her for using her magic to plow the snow in the fields,” Applejack remembered in a deflated tone, "but she made that year our fastest Winter Wrap-Up ever with her organization skills. Heck, if she had the power, Mayor Mare would’ve made her a princess right then and there!”
“Man, all of this feels like it was years ago,” Dash commented as she flipped through the pages of the photo album, getting transported back to the moments printed in front of her.
“They were years ago; hard to believe, ain’t it? Oh!” Applejack shot her hoof down onto the album to point out a picture. “You gotta remember this one!”
Dash looked down to see a picture of herself standing proudly in the Wonderbolts Academy uniform. She giggled as she remembered her time in the academy, breaking record upon record, dealing with her arrogant and super competitive partner Lightning Dust, and telling Spitfire how she felt about everything. She would never forget the amount of regret she’d felt after talking with Spitfire, but thankfully she’d come to her senses and realized that Dash was right. If she hadn’t, Rainbow Dash probably would have never gotten into the Wonderbolts reserves.
“Wow, is it just me or do I look a lot younger in that picture?” Dash asked as she intensely studied her past self.
“Well, your wings have gotten a lot stronger since then,” Applejack complimented, not wanting her Dashie to feel too old, even though the picture was only taken a few years ago.
Together, they looked through more of the album, joking and remembering the events that were photographed. They felt bad, but they couldn’t help but laugh whenever they saw Fluttershy trying to avoid having her picture taken. They rolled their eyes and smiled as Pinkie’s grin lit up the whole photo. They found it amusing how neither of them really recalled taking any of the pictures, but they were glad that someone had or else they wouldn’t have been able to sit together and remember the beginnings of their friendship.
“I’m sorry, I got us super side tracked,” Dash apologized, “You wanted to show me photos of all your family members, didn’t you?”
AJ’s eyes shot open, the light bulb in her head switching on. “Yes, that’s right! All this walking down memory lane has gotten us off track, so it might take us a little longer to go through everypony. That ain’t gonna be a problem, will it?” she asked.
“Not as long as I get to spend all the time with you, sugarcube!” Rainbow Dash nuzzled her face up against Applejack’s, enjoying the sound of her giggling as she used one of her catchphrases.
Applejack pushed the other album aside before grabbing the one titled Apple Family. The cover was in fair condition. The corners were a bit torn, but the leather was strong enough so that any small tears didn’t cause any major damage to the album.
It had an old, haunting smell about it, though that seemed appropriate given how long it had been in the family. There were photos of the Apple Family before Granny Smith was even born in it! Smartly, Applejack had gotten the idea to make tabs to organize the album by generations. This made it much easier and quicker to reminiscence over.
“All righty,” Applejack said as she opened up the album, “Let’s see…let me find our most recent picture.”
Rainbow Dash stopped Applejack before she could turn a page.
“Look,” she whispered quietly, pointing down to the open page.
When Applejack looked down, her heart jumped.
“Look at that little filly Applejack!” Rainbow Dash squealed, tapping her hoof on the small Applejack in the picture.
Her hair was tied in the usual style, her bangs rested softly against her forehead, and a few strands at the top of her head were out of place without a hat to cover them. There was a twinkle in her happy, emerald green eyes, a batch of freckles painted on her pinchable cheeks. A smile went from ear to ear. Big Macintosh stood next to her with his arm wrapped around her, head tilted slightly, just barely meeting hers.
“Oh my gosh, you’re just way too adorable! Look at that super-duper cute smile!” Dash squeaked in a high pitched tone.
Applejack wasn’t staring at the young filly in the picture. Behind her were two ponies, a mare and a stallion, that she hadn’t seen in years. The memories were so ancient that their mannerisms and personalities were almost blurs, but it would be impossible for her to fully forget who they were.
The mare’s coat was a golden yellow that reflected her full smile. Her eyes were filled with happiness and her braided, ruby red hair cascaded down her shoulder. A pink ribbon was tied towards the end of her tail to keep her thick strands under control. A hearty stallion stood next to her like a guardian. His burnt orange coat was partially covered by a tough, leather vest, the thick strips carefully sewn into place. He cast a watchful gaze upon Big Mac and Applejack in front of him, though one could see the deep pride within his trustful eyes. His unshorn fetlocks had traces of mud on them. A plaid handkerchief was tied around his broad neck and a brown cowboy hat with a circular cut in the front was placed tightly on his head, bits of his blonde mane escaping its grasp.
Applejack fell silent, her mind locked within a cellar of distant memories. She felt deflated and overjoyed at the same time. When Rainbow Dash picked up on her silence, her laughter came to a halt.
“Hey, AJ, is there something wrong?” she asked with concern.
“No, Rainbow,” Applejack forced out, “It’s just…I haven’t seen them in so long.”
“Them?” Rainbow asked in confusion before following AJ’s eyes to the mare and stallion in the photograph; the dots connected quickly.
“Oh…” Dash paused, unsure of what to say. “Those are your parents, huh?” she asked, feeling a bit dumb by asking that question.
Applejack nodded slowly, her ears perked straight up and her lower eyelids quivering a bit. She inhaled deeply. “Yup, that’s them,” she said in a whisper.
The somberness in the air made Dash feel uncomfortable. Not only that, but she didn’t like seeing Applejack with a depressed frown on her face. Sadly, she didn’t really know what to say.
“Applejack, I-”
“You know, I sometimes forget about this photo album,” Applejack interrupted, Dash feeling relieved. “I shouldn’t feel sad by looking at this, but…maybe it’s just the fact that the next reunion is coming up and everything and I wish they could be there.”
Dash lifted and placed her hoof on Applejack’s back, softly rubbing it back and forth. “I know it must be hard, Applejack,” she said comfortingly, “you know I’m here for you.”
That made her smile; she needed that. “It is nice to get to see them again like this though; it’s how I’d like to remember them. The smile on my Ma’s face and the smile it put on my Pa’s.”
“They do look really happy; like the perfect family,” Dash added in, grinning as she looked at the bushel of apples from several years ago.
“I miss them a lot; I really wish they were still here. Poor Apple Bloom never even got to know them,” Applejack sniffled, trying to hold back the tears that so desperately wanted to come.
“How did they, um…” Dash wanted to be careful not to overstep her bounds, but wanted to know out of heavy curiosity.
“It’s okay, Dash,” Applejack assured her. “Well, my Ma got really ill a few months after Apple Bloom was born. I forget what the doctors said it was, but I’ll never forget how she would howl at night and how my Pa would be right by her bedside. No matter how much pain she was in though, she still had a heart of gold and would even try and sing Apple Bloom to sleep,” Applejack remembered with fondness.
“It was so difficult for Pa to balance taking care of the family and getting jobs done around Sweet Apple Acres. Big Mac, Granny Smith, and I did all that we could to help, but I think he needed someone to help him in a different way. When my Ma passed away, he wasn’t the same. He was always quiet. He felt like he was miles away, even when he was right there with us. He was lonely, but I think he felt like he failed her; ashamed that he couldn’t have helped her get better.”
Applejack twiddled her hooves around each other while she thought back to the last memory she had of her father.
“I heard him arguing with Granny Smith one night, her crying forcing me awake. I was scared and worried, so I crept into Big Mac’s room and woke him up. We snuck over to the top of the stairs to listen to what was going on between Pa and Granny Smith. She was pleading for him not to go and to think of what it would do to everypony. He was too stubborn though and refused to listen,” Applejack’s voice started going quiet, the memory still difficult for her to remember.
“Last time I ever saw him, he was walking out the door. I’m not sure if he did, but I faintly remember him glancing at the top of the stairs and spotting us. Then…he was gone,” she stopped with a sigh, the vivid memory of that night coming to an end.
She couldn’t stop the next few tears from coming.
Rainbow Dash’s heart sunk like a ship after hitting an iceberg; Applejack’s story colliding into her like a head-on collision with a train. As her marefriend cried quietly and softly next to her, Dash brought her in closer and, wrapping her wing around her, pecked her on the cheek, Applejack’s tears wetting her lips.
“I think the worst thing is…is I don’t know if I should hate him or not,” Applejack sobbed, pushing her face into Dash’s chest, finding some comfort in her soft, warm fur. “He just abandoned us but…he was so lonely and…he just missed our Ma so much.”
Dash rubbed her hoof along Applejack’s quivering body, giving her a kiss every few seconds to help her feel better. She brushed her hoof across Applejack’s bangs before placing it underneath her chin and tilting her head so her eyes met hers.
“You know,” Dash began, “I don’t think I’ve ever told you about my parents.”
For a split second, Applejack was about to lash out at Dash for making it about her again, but there was something different in the tone of her voice, something she had never heard from Dash before. It was a genuine and, almost, cold sound.
“My dad always told me that he met my mom at a young age. When they were younger, a buncha pegasi would always race each other on Friday nights; they eventually started ranking everypony to see who the best of the best was. I think she used to go to a lot of races in Cloudsdale with her friends, not to watch them, but just to see my dad. He was a loner and kind of a bad boy, as cliché and stupid as that is,” Dash snickered before continuing, “But I guess that’s what made him popular amongst all the mares. Just so happened my mom was the only mare he actually liked; lucky her, right? They started dating and things got more and more serious. They made it official and the wedding bells started ringing. They were, like, crazy in love; you never saw just one of them. He was gonna be a Wonderbolt and break all kinds of records just for her. It was cute and heartwarming…but that didn’t last forever,” her tone went flat, making Applejack’s ears twitch.
Dash’s body became tense, tightly straightening her posture as she fidgeted in place. Applejack placed a hoof on her leg to help relax her.
“Things went sour for them after I was born. They talked about having foals for a while and they were both ready, but I guess something changed for my mom when push came to shove. Not even a week after I was born, she just up and left, leaving my dad alone with a rowdy, troublemaking foal. He didn’t have anyone to go to so he had to raise me all by himself, that meant…giving up his dream of flying with the Wonderbolts,” Dash explained, glancing to the side as she imagined how her dad felt after making such a sacrifice.
“Should I hate my mom? I mean, probably, maybe; but do I? No, because that doesn’t get me anywhere. She just wasn’t ready for a foal, let alone me as a foal! My dad did a heck of job raising me, but I still wish I knew my mom...” Dash paused, trying to find the right string of words to say. “I don’t know if I would give her a hug or…just sock her right in the face for abandoning me and forcing my dad to give up his dreams, but I would still like to meet her, because my dad’s told me so much about her. Maybe one day I will,” she said with a faint hint of optimism.
Rainbow placed both of her hooves on Applejack’s shoulders. “You’re not alone, Applejack, and don’t you dare think that you are. No matter where they are, your parents will always love you. We can’t expect to understand why ponies act the way they do, all we can do is immerse our souls in love with those around us. Life is complicated, but that’s what makes it so great.”
Her lips met Applejack’s, letting her know that everything would be fine. Underneath her marefriend’s hooves, Applejack started to relax. Rainbow’s story surprised her; she wondered if she had ever told it to anyone else. It did comfort her though and she understood completely what Dash’s pain felt like. Her parents might no longer be with her, but Rainbow Dash was.
The two mares finished their kiss with a tight hug.
“Oh Dash…” Applejack whimpered, “I…I had no idea. Your mom and everything…”
Rainbow delicately pressed her hoof against Applejack’s lips, not wanting her to dwell on her story anymore.
“I love you, Applejack, you know that and that’s all that matters,” Dash whispered into her ear.
“I know, sugarcube. I love you too.”
Dash pulled her hooves away from Applejack and gave her a teary eyed smile. Applejack smiled back, wiping away the last of her own tears.
“I wish I could’ve met your parents,” Dash admitted, “So I could tell them how wonderful their daughter is and how proud they should be of her.”
Applejack blushed and chuckled, trying not to act too embarrassed.
“Now,” Dash announced in her usual tone, “The Apple Family Reunion is next week and I still can’t name all the family members from Manehattan. Somepony’s gonna need to help me with that!”
With her tears all finally dried up, Applejack happily grabbed the photo album. Sitting close to Rainbow Dash, she turned to the photo taken from the last reunion and started educating her mare on her large family.
My parents would’ve loved you as much as I do, Rainbow, Applejack thought to herself.
