The Long Winter

There are some things we just can’t change.

Every farmer worth her salt knows that the seasons come on their own time. Oh sure, we have a few ways of helping them along. We run the leaves down in the fall, and we wrap up winter when it’s time for spring. But the truth is, winter was wrapping itself up long before anypony set hoof in Equestria. There’s a kind of magic in the land, far deeper than any of the spells they teach the unicorns. It’s something that only earth ponies know, farmers in particular.

I first felt it when I was a filly. I'd wake up before dawn and just listen for awhile, like a seed waiting to sprout. Soon enough Mom or Dad would knock at my bedroom door, and I'd be up doing chores with my brother. I remember the scent of the fields back then, the feel of the dirt under my hooves. I remember looking out at the farm with my eyes wide as the sun came up, realizing just how magical it all was, and how every part of it fit together. Everything just...made sense to me.

In the spring it felt like trees were fixin’ to dance. It may not look like much if you’re a city pony, but in the eyes of a farmer, watching them buds every passing day, every blossom is its own little firework. In the summer the land feels strong, like it’s beaming with pride, the crops all showing off how much they’ve grown already. In the fall the trees start getting tired, but it’s a good kind of tired, the kind you get from a year of hard work. I learned to make my rounds through every orchard then, showing ‘em all how grateful I was. Don’t worry, I say to them, your work’s done. You can take it easy now. Applejack’s here. In the winter, the trees sleep. My daddy chuckled once when he heard somepony mention “the dead of winter.” Nothing’s dead in winter, he told him; it’s just asleep! Wait till spring and it’ll be right as rain again.

I remember looking up at him as he said that. He looked down at me and smiled. And right then, I honestly believed that nothing would ever really change. There was so much I didn't understand.

Seasons come and go. But when ponies leave, they leave forever.