Applejack and The Liquid of Life

Prolouge

It didn’t matter if it was the West Orchard or the East Orchard, the apple trees were dying.

A lone mare looked upon them with a look one might see on a mother who watches her children leave their life. For this mare, these were her children. They were most definitely her life.

Applejack sighed and turned towards her home, which in the light of overcast looked very dim and dull. Heck, it had every right to be.

Granny Smith, the patriarch of the family, was dying, withering away like the apples she had spent most of her life tending to.

Her siblings were taking it hard, but it hit Applejack the hardest. With her trees, she was only losing something that could be brought back. With her grandmother, she was losing somepony that could never be replaced.

Every tree needs a root, and by gosh Granny Smith was the root of the Apple Family. That root was now in a bed, slowly succumbing to age, and leaving Applejack to wonder if the sun would ever come out again.

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Applejack was tending to a tree one afternoon. While the weather had cleared slightly, the trees had still maintained their look of fatigue. Nurse Redheart had examined Granny Smith and said that she didn’t have long; a couple of months at the most. The siblings, after receiving the news, didn’t really know what to feel.

Apple Bloom, being young, was taking it very hard. Macintosh never said much anyway, but a look of despair was whitewashed over his usually stoic face.

Applejack was tending to the trees, when a sign of life broke her train of thought.

“Applejack!”, a voice cried.

Applejack turned around to see her friend Twilight Sparkle standing by a shrub, a concerned sprawled across her face.

“Hey, are you ok? We haven’t seen you in a few days”, The princess carefully asked.

Her friends were supporting her as best they could, but their love wasn’t reaching the poor farmer.

“Ah dunno’ if Ah’m ok, Twi. Mah grandmother is dying, mah trees are dying, it just seems like everything is dying. Makes me wonder if Ah’m next”, the farmer grimly stated.

Twilight made her way towards her friend, leaning into an embrace when she made it. After a moment, the violet mare broke the hug.

“AJ, we’re here for you; no matter what may happen”, Twilight spoke kindly.

Applejack looked touched, but a smile never came.

“Ah know y’all are, and Ah’m greatful to have such great friends. Thank ya, kindly”, she said.

Applejack turned around, but Twilight spoke up.

“Applejack?”, the alicorn called out.

“Yeah?”, The farmer said back.

“What can we do to help?”, Twilight asked.

Applejack looked at the ground and then up at the purple princess.

“Put the life back in mah life, and then we’ll see what happens”, Applejack said solemnly.

She then turned to her home, and trotted away.

“I’ll do that, Applejack. You can count on me”.