Applejack was a very old pony, with iron gray hair and wrinkles on her face, but most of those wrinkles came from years of laughter and her green eyes and orange coat were just as bright as the day she first met her friends. She was the last element left now, but as she very slowly walked home from the funeral with Princess Celestia she didn't feel too concerned with that. Maybe it had something to do with the details of the funeral. . .
“. . . now that casket, I shoulda stepped in there and talked some sense into 'er.”
“She requested it, didn't she?” The princess asked.
“Oh yeah, only she'd pick out somethin' like that.” Applejack smiled. “I gotta say, I loved it. And her kids knew their ma, they hadta be expectin' it. But I ain't sure the grandkids know quite what to make of the “Happy Last Birthday, Pinkie” banner she wanted on it.”
Princess Celestia smiled fondly, her eyes sparkling. “She'll be remembered as she would have wished.”
“That she will.” Applejack chuckled. “Ya' know, a while ago she said to me, 'Dying's easy, comedy's hard. Unless you're dying eggs and trying to get those polka dots on them. I wonder if dyed eggs ever tried being funny? Would it be easy for them or super-ultra hard?' . . . I didn't quite know howta answer, but that was Pinkie to a tee.”
“I know you miss her, Applejack.” the princess said softly.
“Darn right I miss her! I miss all of 'em. But I'll get by.” Applejack stopped at the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres and smiled. “Say Princess, wanna come up the farm and meet some folks?”
“I would love to.” Princess Celestia answered, and turned to walk through the orchards with the elderly pony.
As they walked up to the farmhouse Applejack saw ponies here and there through the trees. She'd told the rest of the ponies not to wait for her, and since she was slow as molasses these days they'd all been home for a while now.
In the distance, almost hidden by trees, two ponies flirted. Pink Lady, a young mare with a coat the soft pink color of her grandma's mane and eyes the bright green of her grandpa's, was blushing and talking to Beau Mane, a young unicorn stallion who had his grandmother's pristine white coat.
In the air overhead, Rocket Red, Applejack's youngest grandson, was having a flying race with Quick Shot, one of Scootaloo's grandkids. Rocket had his great-uncle's bright red coat and his grandma Dash's powerful wings.
She heard the shouts of the foals before she saw them, they seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of her and the Princess.
“Granny Applejack! Granny Applejack!” Three young fillies cried.
“Granny Applejack, why was the casket pink? Mommy said you'd know.” A young magenta unicorn with a purple mane asked.
A bright yellow filly with a curly pink mane bounced up and down for her attention. “I got a balloon! But I let it go! Mom said it's with Grammy Pinkie now, is that true?”
“Granny AJ, can I have some apple pie yet? Mama said we had to wait for y'all.” A little filly with a creamy coat and an orange mane said, a slight whine in her voice.
“Hold it there,” Applejack said sternly. “Now, I don't know what you foals have been learnin' in school these days, but this here is Princess Celestia, and last I checked we're in Equestria. So I reckon y'all better get to showin' some respect before I send y'all to the barn with the rest of the animals.”
The fillies all froze, and their eyes went wide. They bowed, and Princess Celestia smiled and told them to rise.
Applejack smiled. “That's better. We try to raise 'em up right, Princess. But foals these days. . . I dunno 'bout 'em.” She turned back to the foals. “Now. The casket was pink 'cause Pinkie Pie thought it'd cheer ponies up. I'd lay bits that balloon'll find its way to your grammy, Giggles. And we can have some pie soon as your ma says so, not a second before. That everythin'?”
“Tell us a story?” The little unicorn, Twinkle Star, asked, her eyes wide.
Applejack chuckled. “Would y'all let me and the princess get to the farmhouse? Then I'll tell a story, ya' got my word.”
The foals ran ahead, and Princess Celestia continued to walk slowly with the old mare.
Applejack nodded to the fillies as she explained to Princess Celestia, “I'm sure you know Twinkle Star, right? She's Twilight's great-grandfoal. Giggles is Pinkie's granddaughter, and Ginger Gold is actually Apple Bloom's granddaughter. But everypony round here calls me Granny.” Applejack smiled. “I kinda like it.”
The princess smiled. “It's a respectable title. It suites you.”
The two reached the farmhouse eventually, and once a long string of formalities and introduction were done, Applejack settled into the old rocking chair. It had once belonged to Granny Smith, and these days she could see why she'd liked it.
Once she was in place, Applejack looked around. “Now, there's one more thing I need here, before I get started spinnin' some yarns for these young'uns. Where'd that little baby get to?”
“Here ya' go, Granny.” Applejack's granddaughter said, smiling at both the bundled baby and the old mare as she set the foal in Applejack's lap.
“There she is. Have a looky here, Princess. Lil' Rainbow Grace.” Applejack grinned as she nuzzled the blanket back, revealing a cream colored pegasus with a distinctive rainbow mane. “She's my first great-granfoal. Never thought I'd see the like again, least not 'til I go. But here she is, and she might be even prettier then her great-granma Dash was.”
“She's beautiful, Applejack.” The princess said, smiling at the proud great-grandmother.
“Don't I know it? I can't help but think she's gonna know it too. Maybe that's how Dash's head got so big, it's so hard not to make a fuss over a baby that pretty.” Applejack looked at the baby, lost in happy memories, until she heard a whine.
“Graaaanny, stories!” The three fillies sat in front of her expectantly.
“Right, right.” Applejack said with a laugh. “Now what'd y'all wanna hear 'bout?”
“The time Grammy Pinkie saved the town from parsprites!”
“The time Gran Dash got Tank!”
“Tell us about the Elements of Harmony again!”
“We heard about the Elements of Harmony last time.” Ginger Gold whined.
“It's an important part of Equestrian history.” Twinkle insisted.
“Well when Gran Dash got Tank is an important part of Tank's history.” Ginger Gold nodded to where the old tortoise was napping under a tree.
“Quiet, all y'all. I'm gonna tell 'bout Pinkie and the parasprites, in honor of the day. Also cause I'm not sure Princess Celestia's heard this whole story, and she's in it a bit. Now where'd that thing start again?”
Applejack pieced together the events, and told the story of Pinkie's funny and heroic rescue of the town. The foals found it hilarious, and Princess Celestia herself was laughing by the end. Applejack wore a satisfied grin as she finished with Princess Celestia leaving, never having realized all of the trouble they'd been in.
The foals clamored for another one, so Applejack obliged. She told stories until late afternoon, and as she did more ponies gathered, family and friends of all ages. Most were related to somepony in the stories, and most had heard the stories dozens of times. That didn't stop them from laughing and smiling, enjoying these pieces of their history that Applejack had lived through.
After a while, Applejack declared herself finished for the day. The foals took off to the orchard to enjoy the last remaining hours of daylight, and Applejack handed baby Rainbow back to her mother, then invited Princess Celestia to walk with her so that she could stretch her legs.
A short but slow walk later, the farmer and the princess stood on a hill overlooking the orchard. The day was beautiful, the skies clear and the trees full of ripening fruit. Applejack looked at it for a long time in silence.
Finally Princess Celestia pulled the earth pony from her thoughts. “Do you think that you'll be lonely, Applejack?”
Applejack laughed. “Beg pardon, Princess, but did ya' see that crowd?” Then she settled into a smile. “Nah, I reckon I'll be lonely some. I'll be happy some, too. It's hard, havin' nopony 'round who remembers the same things, who looks at the world the same way. But I got folks 'round. That's the magic of friendship there, Princess. It keeps your heart open, so now I got kids and grandkids, and all my friends young'uns, and I can see 'em all there all the time.”
Applejack paused, staring at the clear blue sky. “And I know for a fact that those five are waitin' on me. I'll see 'em again one of these days.”
Princess Celestia smiled. “You know that for a fact, do you?”
“Yup!” Applejack nodded, smiling. “Know it in my heart and soul. And you'd better believe there's nothin' more true then that.”
They were quiet for a few minutes longer, then the princess spoke again. “Applejack, I have to say that I was worried. The six of you were so close, and I worried that as you left each other, the last of you might not be able to handle the losses. But once again, one of my little ponies has surprised me with her resilience and courage.”
“Ha! With all due respect, Princess, growin' old's somethin' everypony does, not just ones with fancy magic elements. It don't take courage. If I had to say, I'd say it takes some laughter, some kindness, some generosity, some loyalty, a bit of honesty, and enough magic to have faith that those things go on forever. You shouldn't have worried bout none of us, we all learned those lessons good, and they work just as well now as they did then.”
“I would say that a pony needs one more thing to face old age.” Princess Celestia smiled down at the elderly pony. “She needs wisdom, and it seems you have that in spades.”
“Aw, shucks. That's nothin' but bein' old.” Applejack said with a shrug and a smile.
“I must lower the sun soon. I need to be going.”
“Well get on then, don't let me keep ya'. I'll see you again real soon.”
Princess Celestia gave Applejack a nuzzle on her wrinkled cheek. “Yes you will. I'm sorry for your loss, Applejack. But I'm glad for all of your wisdom, and I hope you'll share it with your family and friends for a long time yet.”
Applejack nodded, and Princess Celestia took off into the sky, headed to Ponyville to meet up with her guards.
Applejack stayed sitting on the hill, and thought about Princess Celestia's request. Sharing wisdom was her job these days. She was well past apple bucking, and even baking was getting harder, but as long as she was alive and kicking she'd make herself useful. She knew what it was like to be a little foal running through these orchards. She knew what it was like to be a young pony, ready for adventure and making the friends that would make a life. She'd walked through these orchards at sunset with the love of her life, and born and raised foals of her own. She'd felt her body grow old, and she'd lost ponies she never thought she'd lose. She had a thing or two to tell every pony out there, if they'd listen.
Not that they listened much, young folk always forgot that old ponies had been young once. She had done that often enough with her Granny Smith. But she'd say it just the same, and when those ponies were old they'd wonder why young ponies wouldn't listen to them, and why they'd never listened to Granny Applejack. That was life.
And life was good. It was full of adventure, full of love, full of things a pony couldn't even imagine until they happened. There were tears in there too, but most of the real tears were just the price a pony paid for love, and love was worth a few tears.
Applejack was out of tears by now. She figured she'd cried them all, and all that was left was to enjoy the love and life she still had. She knew she was an old pony, there wasn't much time. But there was some, and she'd be darned if she was spending it being sad when she knew how close she was to seeing her friends again.
As she turned to slowly make her way back to the farmhouse, she looked over her shoulder at the setting sun and said, “I'll be seein' ya soon, girls. But not too soon, I hope. I got a little more work to do 'round here, and y'all know I hate to leave a job undone.”
