Quiet resignation

It was pitch black outside as Applejack sat under the porch light. Surrounding her was the reassuring sounds of nature: the crickets and their nightly ballads. The fireflies and their beautiful displays.

She was old, an old mare who had lived a long life. Watched her friends grow old, live their dreams, and eventually reach the road where all paths end.

She sat chewing a stalk of hay, gazing at the night. It yawned before her, spewing outwards and onwards like a vast monster ready to devour her if she let her guard down.

"Oh hush now you." She chided to the pitch black, rocking back and forth on her rocking chair. Next to her sat a little foal. He was an earth pony by descent, like Applejack's momma and her momma: the old matron Granny smith.

She sat, just thinking when suddenly the front porch door swung open.

"Still up sis?" Asked Applebloom, now a full grown mare with her own family in Trottingham. She had left after marrying Pipsqueak and setting out for the town with the prospect of starting a hardware company. In 2 years, her little store had become a massive enterprise. But Applebloom, she had retired as soon as she had enough money. She said she wanted to be a stay at home mom.

"Yeah, couldn't sleep." Applejack heard mewling as the baby too awoke to the sound of his mothers voice. He started reaching up and babbling happily.

"Oh come here you." Applebloom picked up the little one and sat in the empty rocking chair next to Applejack.

The two sat in silence for a little, admiring nature.

"Ya know? You look just like Granny Smith when you sit like that." Applejack turned and cocked an eyebrow at Applebloom.

"What! It's uncanny!" At this, Applejack let out a roaring hearty laugh. Unfortunately, the baby started crying as well.

"Jack! Dagumit ya made em' cranky! Great, now it's gonna take forever to calm him down!" Applebloom had come to visit Ponyville with her son; Hardwood. Applejack merely assumed it was to check up on her, not that she was complaining.

"Hey, lemme see him for a sec, you go get some sleep." She took the foal from Applebloom's hooves. Applebloom eyed her curiously for a moment.

"You sure bout that Jack? I mean he's a hoof-full when he really get's goin'-"

"Ah'll be fine Bloom! C'mon! Me 'n Granny raised you didn't we? And you weren't exactly a saint neither." At this, the two had to share a laugh, remembering all the times the older mares had to scold their younger for her constant crusading.

"Ah whatever, I'll be inside if ya need me. G'night Jack." Applebloom yawned once and headed inside.

The baby strained in Applejack's hoofs, he wanted his mother.

"Sorry kiddo, it's just you 'n me. Momma's too tired right 'bout now." Applejack said rocking back and forth steadily, still chewing her stalk like Big Mac.

The baby however, was reaching a crisis point, his little face was scrunched up and Applejack could tell he was right about to start screaming.

"Ah hush up now you. Tell ya what, if you stay quiet, ah'll tell you a story alright?" The baby instantly stopped and stared up at the mare who cradled him in wonderment.

"That settled? Good. Now's the time I tell you 'bout how me 'n Mac lost our parents." The baby continued to stare. Applejack had to stop for a minute and take a deep breath. This was a story she hadn't even shared with her closest friends. But then again, you know what they say; trust family.

"...Ah was jus' a litte pony, like you. Aw shoot, mah memory's not what it used to be. Now if Mac was here, he'd tell you lickety-split." She stomped her back hooves in mock annoyance. The baby squealed with glee and Applejack continued.

"Well, Granny told me that our family was comin' back from some big Hoedown out near Dodge Junction." She continued to chew, and continued to stare into the darkness.

"Well, the train we was supposed to be boarnin' left us on the platform. It wadn't a pretty time back then. See, earth ponies were looked down on cuz we didn't have no magic or wings or nuthin. 'Just our own 4 hooves. See, then snobs back in Canterlot decided this was good enough to start hatin' on us, so we were never welcome anywhere. Well, mah momma, poppa, and ol' Granny Smith was sittin' there on that platform with their jaws to their hooves." She stopped, her memory slipping back to the time Granny Smith had done this to her, sit out late at night on the front porch, cradling her young self and telling that story.

"Well, Granny told me that mah momma n' poppa used an old push kart to come back home, pullin' and a pushin' till they were there. Ya here me?" She joked shaking the baby a bit, it had started dozing, a little spot of drool dripping from his chin.

"Well, after we'd gotten back, Granny told me they'd walked back home, and get this; kept on Applebuckin'! As soon as they'd gotten back they'd gone right on back to work! Well, Granny said they'd eventually collapsed of exhaustion and died like that."

She sighed with melancholia, by now the little baby had dozed and was sleeping. While Applejack was a bit peeved, she had to smile. "Well, looks like I got Granny's knack fer puttin' ponies to sleep." She barked a soft laugh.

"Enjoyin' yerself?" An all too familiar voice came from her right.

"Ah nelly! Granny! That you?" Applejack asked incredulously. Turning right, she had to smile, there, sitting on her old rocking chair just like Applejack, was the old matron Granny Smith.

"Sure as spit sugarcube." Granny wasn't chewing a stalk, but she was knitting.

"Heaven knows how she snuck up on me." Applejack snorted with amusement.

"So! What brings you to mah neck of the woods?" Started Applejack still rocking, but now she eyed the old mare intensely.

"Ah nothin' just came to check up on mah old younglin'." She snorted and laughed throatily. "And checkin up on her younglin's younglin."

The two mares laughed softly. Applejack stopped to remove her stalk of wheat and spit some remaining tobacco into a nearby pot, it made a dinging noise without waking the baby.

"Ah thought you kicked that habit years ago!" Granny eyed Applejack wearily. "Thought you promised you'd quit after Twilight's death!" Granny kept eyeing Applejack in her patented 'I know you dun did it missy, now fess up.' Stare that had cracked Applejack's alibi on many occasion like an egg.

"Aw leave an old mare some of her vices." Applejack replied, the two shared another laughter.

"Ya know, I really miss those girls." Granny cut in, a silence had overtaken the two as they sat admiring the now not so dark night. They both knew the sun would come up in a bit.

"Me too, but you how it goes. We all gotta kick the bucket some day." Applejack continued chewing methodically on her stalk. A silence interluded with the cries of crickets cut in as the two just sat.

"Ya know, when I left, I still wasn't ready." Applejack turned and stared in awe at Granny Smith.

"Ah still wanted ta see you grow up, marry, gimme some grandkids of mah own. Well, y'all didn't do that, ya left that up to Applebloom. But, I still wanted to cradle a little one in mah hooves, just like I'd cradled you. I still wanted to keep them younglings on the right way." Granny Smith sighed.

"Well, we all gotta go Granny. When Luna calls our names, we gotta head on up. Ya did a fine job. Even better than fine, ya did a damn good job Granny. And don't worry 'bout Bloom, she's a smart mare, she knows what she's doing. Ah mean, have you seen her company? In only 2 years! That  mare is savvy. More than we'll ever be." Applejack reached out and touched Granny's shoulders.

"Ah know, and that's what scares me. What if she loses the old Apple way? What if she ends up like them old snooty richies? That's what scares me Jack." Granny smith sighed.

Applejack spoke as the sky turned a shade of dark violet.

"Applebloom'll never do that. All that time spent crusadin', all that time spent workin'. I knew she'd fly the coop at some point. All of them do. But I know in mah heart she's different. I know she's got the fear of Celestia in her hearts and I know she knows what is good and what is bad. Granny, ya gotta have faith in Bloom. Don't you remember all those times you spent together baking and making Zap Apple Jam?"

"She was young back then Jack!" Said Granny.

"So? Being young doesn't mean being stupid! Ah've spent all my time with Applebloom and I can guarantee you. You'll never mind a harder workin' young mare! Granny! Ah've seen Bloom and her three friends back when they were younglings. Ah've seen her whip em' into line more times than I care to count! Ya gotta have faith Granny."

The two mares sighed.

"Faith huh? Never did have too much of that durin' the dark times." Said Granny. Applejack pipped up at this.

"What? You never told me bout that."

"It was right on after your momma n' poppa got back. They worked themselves to the bone cuz they'd missed out on the harvest prior. Jack, they died tryin' to make the rent on the farm." Granny sighed deeply.

Applejack put a hoof to her shoulder.

"Granny, it don't matter how we die. It matters how we live. And you've lived a good life. Mah momma n' poppa've lived a good life. If ya live a good life, there's no need to fear the end. You know that." Applejack said.

All of a sudden, she felt wind, and warmth coming from her right.

Granny was glowing.

"Aw shoot, guess yer words got ta me. I was still so sore over the whole thing. Guess it takes an Apple to get to an Apple huh?" Remarked Granny, she started fading.

Applejack turned back to the nearly brightened sky. Day was close.

"Ah guess so, hey Granny? Will I ever see you again?" She asked.

Granny gave her a wry smile.

"Girl, Celestia wouldn't be lettin' me visit if ya had long."

Applejack stifled a chuckle as Granny finished fading out.

"Guess it's mah time huh?" She leaned back into her rocking chair. "Well, ah'm mighty tired. Guess a bit of shut eye would be nice before I talk to Bloom." And with that she slept.

"Jack! Jack!" Applebloom called throughout the old house, it was early in the morning and she had awaken to the sounds of the birds and the trees whistling in the wind. The first few times she'd called Applejack hadn't replied like she usually did. Applebloom was beginning to worry.

"Fer land's sake! She's a hundred n' three! Where could she have hobbled off too?" She turned the kitchen upside down before heading into the living room and doing the same.

"Huh!" She exclaimed opening the front porch door and stepping outside, seeing Applejack and foal sleeping.

Bloom smiled wry, picking up the baby and placing it on her back.

"C'mon Jack, rise n' shine." She said shaking the mare.

Applejack didn't move.

"Jack?" Asked Applebloom, she saw a thin trail of drool running down her mouth. Putting a hoof to it, she tested the temperature.

It was cold.

Sighing deeply with sadness, Applebloom reached for Jack's hooves when suddenly, something fell out. Reaching down, she picked it up. Upon closer inspection, it was a letter.

Dear Applebloom,

If yer readin' this, then that means I left. Now don't you fret none, I had it comin. Well, last night Granny came to visit me, said my time was close. I figured if I was gonna pass, might as well give my last regards and will now.

Ah still have Big Mac's old harness. You know, the one he used to wear all the time? If ya can find him, give it to Spike. He was his closest friend. Ya'll can keep the land. It belongs to the Apple family.

You can give my old Stetson to yer foal after he grows up. Let'm know what it means to be an Apple.

And one last thing Bloom. When I was talkin' to Granny. She was awfully worried about you losing yer values. I kept sayin' you wouldn't. And I know ya won't.

But Bloom?

Never forget, yer an Apple. And Apples are as Apples do. We are proud, but we are soft, we are kind as we are hard, and we are as sturdy as we are vulnerable. Bloom, never forget where ye came from. And never forget who brought you there.

As for mah body, lay mah old bones on the riverside. Ah never did like none of does fancy schmancy graves. We were all made from the good earth, might as well give back to it. Ah've been given to the good earth mah whole life, might as well give my last gift as well. So If I die, lay mah old bones by the riverside."

Lovingly, Applejack

Applebloom sighed deeply, tears at the corner of her eyes. "Alright Applejack." She said in a choked voice.

"Alright." She repeated before heading inside.