A smile at the end of the day
"Hum hey, Jackie," An usually loud voice spoke far lower than everyone is used to hear from this certain pink-haired girl, and for anyone that had met that girl for more than 24 hour would take this as a matter of worry, so, for the only other girl in the room this is basically an event of the century.
"What's up Sugarcube?" Applejack took her eye from the book she was reading and turned her gaze toward Pinkie Pie that was laying on top of Applejack's bed with a strange magazine called The Quibbler (That for some reason was turned upside down) while waving her legs in the air, she is never truly stopped after all. "Somethin' botherin' ya?"
"More or less," Pinkie Pie put down her magazine and sat up with an unusually serious expression. "About yesterday," As soon as she said that a small blush covered Applejack's face. "We're dating for a while now, but you never kissed me in public like you did yesterday. I want to ask what exactly happened there?"
"Well," Applejack scratched the back of her head bashful. "Ya'know, ya helped me a lot yesterday, and Ah kinda acted by instinct there,"
"I helped you? But I haven't seen you all day yesterday," Pinkie Pie said with a confused look now. "How come I helped you?"
"Applejack assumed a very serene expression. "That may sound silly, but it's because ya smiled at me,"
"What?" Pinkie was even more confused. "But I'm always smiling... And dancing, and singing and laughing and... I think you got the picture,"
"Ah surely did," Applejack laughed for no more than a few seconds. "That may be true, but it was all ah needed,"
"What happened yesterday?" Pinkie Pie asked somehow already in front of Applejack with popcorn ready that she made appear from nowhere almost as if expecting to see a movie.
"Well..."
For someone raised at the barn it is very common to wake up before the sunrise and even before the call of the rooster. And for Applejack it was one of those days.
She woke up for no apparent reason and she just stayed down a little while staring the ceiling. She had slept really late last night, but it was also not a problem for her, actually, her body is quite used to that routine.
She yawned and sat up on her bed as She stretched herself. With a quick glance at the clock She saw that it was barely 05:00 in the morning, so, she has more than enough time to prepare herself for the day.
Of course, she is not like Rarity when treating her appearance but there is nothing wrong with a quick brush in your hair either. She stood up and slowly dragged herself to the bathroom of her room. A few minutes and a whole bunch of cold water on her face later and She was more than ready to tackle the day head on.
She left her room and yawned one last time while closing the door behind her. Maybe starting the day making breakfast would be a good option, no hard work and extremely rewarding to see her family having a nice meal together. Now this is a sight She never really gets tired of.
She descended the stairs of the second floor while humming softly with a tranquil smile upon her features. There are some days you wake up with a bad mood and some with a good one, she was glad today is apparently one of the later.
Turning on the lights of the kitchen she stepped inside without really paying attention where she is stepping into, and sadly, this caused her to hit her little toe against the door frame. She groaned in pain and leaned herself against the wall trying not to yell a curse. That Damn thing apparently serves for no purpose besides hitting absolutely everything that can break it.
She sighed once trying to ignore the waves of pain pulsing through her body. Well, at least she managed to not wake up the entire house, so it is already a positive score for her. She resumed her walk toward the stove limping a little and using everything in her way to keep her balance. It is not a small pain that is going to stop her from doing what she think she has to do.
Putting the water to boil she turned to look at the cabinet and inside the fridge. "Well, that's a wonderful start..." She sighed again. Apparently she had forgotten to go to the market yesterday, so the only thing for the breakfast are a few eggs, no more than seven. "Better than nothin' Ah guess," She took the eggs and went to the sink closing the fridge behind her with her leg.
Mechanically she started to make breakfast while creating a small checklist of her chores in her head. Probably she is spending too much time with Twilight. Thinking quickly, after the coffee was made she could take the clothes off the clothesline, then get a few more eggs the chickens had laid so she did not has to buy it and feed them and the pigs, and just after that she would wake up the rest of her family.
After a while a distinct whistle indicated that the water was already boiled. Applejack went to the stove and unintentionally dropped one of the few eggs on the floor. She massaged her temples trying to stay calm. " No use crying over spilled milk ... Or was it the spilled egg?" She managed to chuckle a little at her own lack of luck and cleaned the mess. Now there is only six eggs, if everyone eats two then someone will not eat. "Ah'll visit the chickens sooner than Ah thought,"
A clangorous thunder echoed and illuminated the sky startling her a little. She had been so entertained in cooking that she did not watched the sky and the rain is already falling... "THE CLOTHES!"
She ran as fast as she could, which is actually really fast, and reached the clothesline before the clothes gets really wet and returned to the house even faster but she slipped and fell on the mud with all her clothes.
The rain gets heavier as she slowly sat up and cleaned her face the best she could, but it was not enough to clean it all. Sighing she stood up and took all the clothes. "Back to the washer Ah guess,"
After the small hindrances she decided to see the chickens. Maybe she can at least have a nice breakfast to compensate the start of the day.
"What a bad mood for so early..." Ten eggs, maybe two dozen pecks, a few feathers from her hair and another sigh later and she was back to the kitchen where she started and where she was certain that she had turned off the stove.
She finally finished the surprisingly challenging breakfast and smiled at the sight of the completely ready table. It was harder than she had thought but she managed to do it somehow.
Again Applejack climbed the stairs toward the main corridor. Granny Smith's room is the first, followed by Big Mac's, Apple Bloom's and her own. So, she decided to wake them up in that order.
As she was about to knock on the bedroom door and ask permission to enter something caught her attention. She wasn't sure what it was until she realized it was a whining, sobbing sound.
She slowly opened the door, mentally thanking herself for lubricating the hinges a few days ago, because no noise was made as she does it.
"Oh, It's one of those days..." She felt her heart clench painfully in her chest. It's not a common sight to see your grandmother weakened anyway, but sometimes she allowed herself to feel a little mourning. She was wiping her eyes while holding an old family photo.
"Ah always thought it was goin' to get better," Granny Smith sighed and sat at her bed while caressing the photo. "Ya'now, it's not natural for a mother to bury her son little boy..."
Applejack closed the door again without a sound. It seems her grandmother needs some time for herself, and nothing fairer than giving it to her. But honestly, if before her heart ached, now she felt that she had been completely shattered. The news of your parents' death is traumatizing, Applejack knows this from her own experience, and surely Grandma Smith felt the loss even more than herself, after all, she literally knew her father and mother much longer than she did.
"Maybe Ah should wake Big Mac first," She decided to change the topic. Big Mac had had some kind of date the day before, maybe he's in a good enough mood to improve hers, because honestly, she was already getting slightly discouraged with that day.
She knocked lightly twice more for formality than anything. Big Mac has a very heavy sleep sometimes, and she knew she would need more than that to wake him up. She waited a few seconds in front of the door and adjusted her hat ... Wait, she hasn't put it on yet. "That's better Ah guess, otherwise it would be dirtier than me after a day of work," She looked at herself, her clothes are still muddy, she will change it after waking everyone.
Again she knocked the door, just a little stronger, but before she could even knock a second time the door opened and she saw her brother standing before her with a huge frown on his face. "Hey Big Mac, Ah finished makin' the breakfast, so, Ah was just callin' ya to get ready, maybe ya can tell us 'bout that girl ya..."
"Nope!" He bluntly said and closed the door on her face strongly.
"..." Applejack stared the door open mouthed. It is not usual for her brother to do something like this, so extreme. "Ah guess it didn't go well," She scratched the back of her neck nervously.
He probably needs some space too.
"Well, next one then," She said and knocked Apple Bloom's door gently. "Bloom, ya up?" She stared the wooden door while waiting for a response. Nothing came. "Apple Bloom?" She knocked again.
The door also opened at once but a little less violently to revel a sleepy teenager with red (and messy) hair. "What do ya want?" Apple Bloom asked with a yawn.
"Ah just wanted to say the breakfast's ready,"
"Really? Ya wake me up before the sun in a Saturday to say ya make coffee?" She sounded a little frustrated.
"Oh, sorry 'bout it," Applejack scratched her neck nervously again. The sun has risen more than half an hour ago, but it is still true that it is not a good time to wake up in one of the precious few days a teenager has outside the school. "Ah think ya can sleep a little more,"
"Thanks," Apple Bloom said already closing the door slowly.
"One last thin', do ya know what happened between Big Mac and that girl he saw yesterday?" Applejack could not help but ask, her brother's reaction still bothers her.
"Oh, that," Apple Bloom frowned. "That girl said our whole farm's it's not even 500 bits worth and if he wanted to be with her he would have to drop 'this dump'and get a house closer to the city,"
"SHE SAID WHAT?" Applejack barely stopped herself from yelling. No wonder her brother was in a bad mood. it is not everyday that someone says that your most precious place in the world is not even 500 bits worth, quite frankly, she was furious too.
"Can Ah go to my bed again?" Apple Bloom asked tiredly.
"Sorry keepin' ya up, Sugarcube, ya can sleep now," Applejack turned and walked away with a small frown.
"AJ," Apple Bloom called.
"What's up?"
"Ya definitely should take a bath to take out all that mud," She answered and closed the door leaving Applejack sighing again.
She opened the door to her room and looked at her reflection. She was definitely a mess, with mud on all her hair and clothes and she was having a hard time even finding her freckles. "Rarity would kill me if she saw me that way," She shook her hair and walked to the bathroom. "Dunno if Ah would mind though," She tiredly resumed her walk. Maybe she can go to Ponyville and buy a few necessities, the walk may clear her mind a little bit.
Applejack waited for another half hour for someone to come down to breakfast with her, but no one came down and she had forgotten to turn on the light, so she ate in the dark alone anyway and left the farm with nothing more than her wallet.
She took her umbrella to try and be just a little dryer and drove the longest way into town to pass near Fluttershy's new home, which was far from town, but a friend might be just what she needed, after all, she was in such a bad mood that she did not even did some of her chores, and that says something.
But apparently there was no one at home ... That or that rabbit had lied to her because she woke him up, but she thought he was being honest, after all, he had already vented his anger when he stopped biting every visible part of her body.
"Maybe I can visit Twilight and Sunset ... No, they traveled with the Twilight's family this weekend," She sighed again. Rainbow Dash has field training with her football team and is not around either, and Rarity... Suddenly a car passed by her side and throwed a lot of mud on her.
"An excuse would be welcome," She frowned and kept walking. Her favourite red shirt and jeans are also dirty now, but she honestly was reaching the point where she does not even care anymore.
The sound of the rain is usually something she enjoys, but most people apparently does not. Every face she saw was frowning heavily or was for some reason furious. "Not like Ah can judge them,"
At the distance she saw the market. It seems a little more gray than normal today. She walked in planning on what to buy. Maybe she can buy something to make a decent lunch, but she was lacking determination, and it is not like she was sure everyone would enjoy either.
After a few lines and an really grumpy attendant she left the market with four bags in each hand. It was barely nine and her day was not the best.
She woke up in quite a good mood, but she was starting to think that maybe it was not a good idea to leave her bed, it seems everything is trying to ruin her day, and it is working wonderfully...
Almost as if trying to prove her point another car passed beside her and throwed even more water on her, but this time she was prepared and used her umbrella to protect herself and her bags from it.
She smirked in triumphant for a second, but a second car passed so close to her that it took off the umbrella from her hand and a third car smashed it to pieces. "Just my luck," She adjusted her hat and kept walking. "It was my favourite one too,"
The heavy rain somehow got even heavier as she makes her way back home and she was already soaked to the bones a few seconds later just like her bags, but she honestly does not care anymore. She was not even trying to run, she just walked until she saw a very familiar building, the Sugar Cube Corner, approaching slowly.
She had not thought about buying some snacks on her way back, but what bad there is in a small cupcake?
Ignoring the small part of her brain that was telling her that something bad is probably going to happen when she gets close to it she still walked toward it.
Maybe it will be closed. Maybe the twins are giving them some problem and they cannot open the doors. Maybe there are not a single cupcake left. Maybe they will say she cannot enter because she is dripping wet and dirty... Okay, this last one is not like the Cakes at all.
She pushed the door and allowed a running kid to leave the establishment and run away with his pink umbrella and get inside to find a table.
There was only one empty and she went toward it slowly. She left all her bags on the floor and sat down observing her surroundings without much interest. Unlike expected from a place like this almost everyone wears some heavy frowns and just stared their coffee or snack in reflection and silence. Not really an improvement when comparing to her home but it was better than nothing.
"Hey Jackie, what do you want?" A familiar and unexpected voice asked and she slowly turned to see the one talking with her.
Suddenly the world stopped for Applejack. A single ray of sunshine in her dark day shone like a candle in the darkness. Pinkie Pie looked at her with a wide smile that reflects the purity of her childish heart. "Wow, you're so wet! Do you want me to find some towels? I think I have one upstairs but you will have to wait a minute or two, every time I went upstairs Pumpking and Pound wants me to play with them..." Pinkie Pie was going to say something but suddenly Applejack simply stood up from her wooden chair, intertwined their fingers of the left hand and gently dragged Pinkie toward herself with her right one and kissed her on the lips.
She did not mind everyone staring them. She did not mind she is wet and getting her girlfriend almost dirtier than herself. All that matters is that Pinkie Pie was like a pink beacon of light and kindness in a grey world and that she noticed more than ever how much she loved her and how much she wanted to show it to her.
Pinkie Pie stood without reaction for a few seconds, surprise and confusion clear in her eyes, but after a small shrug she leaned into it too. After all, she is not silly enough to let an opportunity like this one slip between her fingers.
After almost 30 seconds Applejack finally broke the kiss and smiled sweetly at the smaller girl she is very proud to call girlfriend. "Thanks Sugarcube. That's the best thin' ya ever did to me," She simply took all her bags from the floor and walked toward the door. "Maybe we could spend the day together tomorrow. Meet me at home okay? Ah'll be waitin' for ya,"
"Hum... Sure?" Pinkie Pie watched as Applejack left the establishment with a huge smile on her face and disappeared into the rain leaving her brain trying to understand what exactly just happened... Thinking well, did everyone gets this confused when she's acting like, well, herself?
She shrugged and smiled too. She has orders to do and a decision to made for which is the best dessert for a home date with her girlfriend she can do in just a few hours. "I think I want an Applepie,"
"And that's basically it," Applejack said looking down at Pinkie Pie that was using her lap as pillow. "When Ah had no idea what to do anymore, ya was the first and only smile I had seen the entire day, before and after that,"
"I see," Pinkie smiled and sat up looking into Applejack's eyes. "I had no idea things were so bad, otherwise I would have come yesterday at night,"
"Don't worry," Applejack chuckle. "Ya did the best ya could without even tryin'. Ya already the best girlfriend a girl could ask," She hugged Pinkie's waist.
"I just have one problem with this whole story,"
"What's it?"
"If you ever say you don't mind someone killing you again, I will kill you and drag your soul back into your body so I can kill you again, got it?" The pink girl warned with a playful smile.
"Hahaha, we have a deal Sugarcube," Applejack laughed. "But to be honest that Applepie ya said ya was goin' to bring seems like a good idea now, I could use somethin' sweet now,"
"Oh, I didn't bring any," Pinkie smirked.
"Really? That's not like ya,"
"Don't worry," Pinkie Pie took Applejack's hat and put it onto her head before opening the first two buttons of her girlfriend's favorite red blouse. "I wanted to make a reeeeally sweet Applepie with you today,"
Applejack smiled and turned off her bedside lamp. "Whatever ya wish ma'am, but Ah have a single order for ya,"
"And what is it?" Pinkie hugged her neck.
"That hat stays with ya the whole time,"
"Deal,"
Author's Note
The idea for this fix was entirely inspired by a day like this one I was having some time ago and here we are.
Just out of curiosity the magazine Pinkie Pie was reading was a reference to Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. I think she and Pinkie Pie would be very good friends.