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ALBANY

The sun came up. Albany opened her eyes, sleep making them sticky. She struggled to meet the morning light shining in through her curtains, and she strained her eyes as they adjusted. She writhed from under her sheets, her coat greasy from a long nights sleep. She had most certainly needed it. Two days and nights of work will do that to a young mare. She glanced at the clock standing opposite the foot of her bed. It hardly mattered anymore, time had recently become governed only by whether it was day or night, both being as inconsistent as each other during this dark chapter of pony history. The clock stood taller than her. A large thing with a glass panel on the front, showing the complex mechanisms inside, mechanisms which should be whirring and ticking but just stood still, frozen in time. The wood curled and swirled in a venetian style where it grew to meet the head of the clock. The clock face shone beautifully. Albany's grandmother had once said it was lit by magic, the purple glow created by an old friend with incredible ability. Albany knew that wasn't true. Magic couldn't be used for such trivial things, not anymore. Most likely it was sculpted from amethyst, and the light shining off it gave it it's distinct purple shine. You see, magic was scarce these days were scarce. For reasons unknown to Albany, the unicorn populus was decreasing. Or at least unicorns that were able to perform feats of magic. It wasn't so much a problem for Ponyville or any other towns founded on similar belief systems, but especially for the far more advanced cities, Fillydelphia and Canterlot to name a couple, a lack of magic was bringing a lot of hardship. So, no. Albany did not believe her grandmother that said it was magic making the small markings glow. And even if it was, how could it be maintained for such a long period of time? Albany by all means was not a smart pony, but she most certainly was not gullible. A trait she took great pride in.

Albany rose out of her sheets and stretched her arms out, letting a large yawn escape her gaping mouth. She rubbed her eyes delicately a pushed herself off the bed, wiping the saliva off her lips as she did. She trotted over to the window and stared out into the morning. It was very beautiful. Absolute silence, save for the tweeting of birds and the baying of cows. The sun illuminated the entire stretch of land that her, her mother and her siblings now ran. To call it running was pushing it a bit far. The land was only a fraction of what it once was. The poor weather conditions had left growing the neccessary crops to become a bit of a challenge. There was enough coming out the farm to allow what was left of the her family to get by... But only barely. The farmland throughout Albany's life had gone from being a home, to being a business, to being a burden. But she still loved it. There are little lengths she wouldn't go to to protect it from harm.

She heard a voice reach her from downstairs. It was her mother's voice.

"Albany! Dear, I've prepared breakfast! Good mornin'!"

Good morning... It was a way of greeting each other when the day finally came around. A bit of a morbid greeting, in Albany's opinion. Mornings, now, were a thing to be celebrated.

"Albany! Are ya up? Can ya hear me?" Albany's mother called out to her.

"Ah'm comin' ma. Hold yer horses." Albany replied in her strong, southern accent.

She approached the mirror to adjust her appearance for the day. Hmm, she didn't actually look as bad as she would have thought, having just gotten out of bed and a seemingly restless sleep. All considered, she may as well just go downstairs looking as she does. Albany raised her hoof to her mane. Her long blonde hair a distinct characteristic of her being. It echoed a beautiful contrast to her coat, a rich mahogany which darkened as it approached her flank. It was matte and dirty at the moment, but when cleaned it was pristene. It shone like a freshly picked and ripe apple. She stared at her reflection, into her lime green eyes. The same of her coat could not be said about her eyes. They looked tired, and carried heavy bags under them. The colour in her eyes had faded over the years and they wore a sad, deprived and exhausted appearance. She pivoted on her hooves to look at herself from the side. Slim and strong. And then to her flank. Her bare flank. Her blank flank. She was one of the only ponies her age without one, except for one other.

She trotted over to the chair near her bed. On it sat a large, tanned Stetson hat. It had belonged to her grandmother. Her mother wore it when she was still working, and it had since been passed down to Albany. This hat must have been over one-hundred years old, perhaps more. She took the hat in her hoof and with a quick flick of her wrist she threw the hat into the air. It floated down quickly and perched on top of her head, which she soon positioned to fit comfortably.

Albany galloped down the stairs, not wanting to keep her mother waiting any longer. She reached the bottom of the stairs and ran around the corner. Albany let out a comical scream as she was met with her mother, literally inches infront of her. It was too late. The pair of them crashed into one another and went tumbling down the hall. When the pair came to a stop, her mother started laughing.

"Sweet Celestia young filly. Ya need to be careful where y'all are gallavanting around like that, ya could have taken your poor ma's head off!" The older mare exclaimed.

"Ah- Ah'm sorry Ma, Ah didn't want to keep you." Albany stammered as she got to her feet.

"Oh, fiddlesticks, ya take as much time as ya need. It's been a long night, dear. It's entirely understandable that you be needin' a tad more time to adjust yaself. But you're up and at 'em it would seem, so come on through to the kitchen, breakfast is on the table. Anna is already up." Albany helped her mother to her hooves.

"Thank you ma. Ah'm sorry fore bumping into you like that."

Albany's mother waved a hoof and dismissed Albany's second apoloy. As they exited the hall and into the kitchen, the smell of fresh apple sauce and toast reached Albany's nose. Her mouth began to water. Sweet Celestia that smells good. Around the table already was Albany's younger sister. She was still a filly, too young to even be in school. She waved at Albany half heartedly as she took an enormous bite into a thick slice of toast.

"Howdy there sis... Good mornin' to ya."

"Mhmm, mmph mmf." She murmered under a mouthful of toast. Albany giggled at her. She was a sweet filly. She looked just like her mother. She had a golden coat, so bright it was almost white, with thick, flowing red hair. Her eyes were a deep magenta. When she was born, Albany, still a young filly herself, would stare for ages into those eyes. She saw her dearly loved great-aunt in them. She had passed not long after Anna was born into the world. It was illness which took her in the end. She had been kind, and honest, and a great source of inspiration to Albany. Albany had always struggled to achieve her cutie mark. Her great-aunt had taught her that her family had always maintained a difficulty in finding just what to do for their cutie mark. Ponies would get so caught up in running the farm that they hardly ever had time to find their unique and special talent. But, that it would come eventually, if you were persistent. Albany had stopped caring a long time ago whether or not she got her cutie mark. Her great aunt also told her something that she was told by a friend, many years ago when she was just a filly. Not having a cutie mark isn't something to be ashamed of. Infact, you're lucky to not have a cutie mark. It means you have potential. You can do anything you want and there is nothing to tell you that you should be doing something else. The entire world is yours and you have every right to grasp it with both hooves and never, ever let go.

"Oh, Albany, y'all have a letter. Delievered a couple 'a hours ago. Here." Albany's mother picked up a small, square envelope with her mouth. It had a very familiar seal on it. Albany took it in her mouth and tore it open with her hooves. She took the letter over to the table and read it quietly. It was quite long.

Several moments later, Albany put down the letter and sighed. The contents of the letter was certainly not good news. It wasn't quite bad news either, however. Albany thought that was far worse, not knowing which way to look at the letter.

Albany's mother approached her. "What's the matter, dear? Y'all look more glum than a brusied apple."

Albany peered up at her mother. "That's just what Ah feel like right now, it seems, a brusied apple. The letter was from Samuel. He appears to be havin' problems with the farm. Besides his poor grammar, it appears his orchard isn't doing too well either. He's asked if he can borrow some money to keep the orchard afloat until business comes back in."

Albany's Uncle, Sam. Well, he wasn't so much of an Uncle, as a close family friend. He ran a wine orchard in the Northern province of Equestria. It was praised for creating some of the finest wine the world knew. Albany had never tried it herself, she was more accustomed to cider. Nevertheless, it was quite an achievement. Celestia herself used to drink Samuel's wine, so it must be damned impressive. She would buy casts of the stuff for formal events in Canterlot. Business was huge for Samuel and it seemed it would never end. His Orchard grew larger, as did his family. The facilities improved and it was soon one of the most prosperous businesses in Fillydelphia. And then, one year it just stopped. Much like it did on Albany's family farm. Something happened. Because it seemed to affect not just Samuel and his family, but many other family run businesses. It was around that time when the long nights ensued. Nights that would sometimes last 48 hours. Even several days. Days of light would always follow, and last similar lengths of time. But there was no pattern, it was all incredibly random. Of course this meant trouble for anyone growing crops. Plants need light and they weren't getting it. The quality of the ponies product declined. Perhaps that was it. Perhaps the long nights did something to ruin Samuel's grapes and wine. Whatever the root cause, Samuel was facing troubled times. And Albany and her family could feel trouble appraoching them aswell.

"Oh my, how awful. Did he mention how he and Lou were doing?" Lou being his wife.

"No, he was very to the point. He's given me an entire list of sales and also an idea of how much it's going to take the bring the business back up to speed... I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't slept in a few days preparing this letter."

"Well, it's nothing that we can't see to later. Samuel has always been a smart colt. He'll do just fine. He's got friends all over Equestria who would give their cutie mark to help him." Albany's mother proclaimed.

'It's a shame I don't have my own I could offer up to him.' Albany thought before starting on her breakfast.

Albany wolfed down her breakfast and allowed a small burp to escape her mouth. She pardoned herself and trotted towards the door.

"Right, come on y'all, we've got some work to do. It's been a long night, we need to get things straightened up for the day." She opened the door and gave herself a moment to breathe in the cold morning air.

"Actually, Albany." Her mother said. "I want you to take the day off. Or, in a manner of speaking... Take a good 10 hours to yourself."

Albany looked at her mother, and blinked, confused. "I don't understand. We need to get the trees trimmed and the sheep need herding... It's a lot of work Ma, I appreciate it bu-"

"Albany my dear girl. Y'all have worked tirelessly through many nights and many days. We know how much ya care about the farm but you must give yourself some time for recovering. Tell me, when was the last time you went to Ponyville? Met your friend, Mary-Anne? I'd wager it's been a long long while. Macintosh has offered to take care of everything for this part of the day. Go on, have some time to rest. Y'all deserve it." She gave Albany a sweet smile.

Anna perked up and turned her head. "Hey! How come she gets a day off? I want a day off. I want to play!"

Her mother giggled and bonked Anna on the head with a wooden spoon. "You my dear were caught yesterday taking a nap halfway up a tree. Y'all don't work therefore you don't play." She said, jokingly. "Tell ya what, do a good four hours of work today, and y'all can have a nice long break to play with Macintosh."

Anna nodded her head in agreement and let out a small giggle. Albany's mother soon turned.

"Go on Albany. Take the day off, for me."

Albany tipped her hat to her mother and galloped off into the morning. Freedom! Sweet freedom, oh Celestia how she had indeed missed it. I mean, she enjoyed working but she could never pass up the opportunity to experience a bit of time to herself. She let out a long sigh and breathed in the air. She turned to face the barn her family called home. A large red barn, a similar red to her coat. She was sure that if she stoof up against it she'd damn well near blend in. Entirely distinguishable, nowhere on Equestria could be mistaken for it. Guilded white panels and deep red walls. The barn was the beautiful reminder that there was still good in life. This barn shone through all of Equestria and would always let Albany know she had a home and a family and as hard as times are in Equestria now, it would always be here. She tipped her grandmothers hat to the barn, as she did every morning, a gesture that subtlely said, 'See you soon.' She began trotting down the dirt road leading from the farm.

Albany slowed her pace as she reached the exit to the farm. Adjacent from that gate was another path, curved and clear which led uphill. It wasn't very steep but it stretched back a long way. The grass was freshly cut and had patches of daisys growing out of the ground. Albany let out a small sigh and turned to go up the hill. On this hill, all her ancestors lay. All passed. Each had their own stone to call their final resting place. There were so many. They had been collecting since many hundreds of years ago. The stones closest to the gates were of the oldest. Names she didn't recogise. Old Uncle Smith, Annie Elizabeth, Reinette Smith... She bowed to each grave as she passed, muttering under her breathe the name of each tombstone she read from. Autumn Gold, Ashmead, Arthur Turner... The names became more familiar. Her grandmother had shown her many pictures of them from past family reunions. Granny Smith. She had never known her but her grandmother spoke of her fondly and showed her many pictures. She would have been Albany's Great Great Grandmother. Albany removed her hat for the next four names. These names meant the most to her. Ponies she had lived with, and loved deeply. Ponies she missed with all her heart. Her father, Alfriston Smith. Or Alfie. A flurry of emoton swept over Albany. Her dear father. She missed him more than she cared to think. A tear left her eye and ran down her cheek, which she wiped with her hat. Her father was responsible for the strength that Albany had. She inspired him in more ways than one though. He taught her everything she knows now about maintaining the farm. About caring for her family. About loving others. She held her grandmothers hat to her chest and bowed her head. Taking a moment to reflect and remember... and appreciate. Just before her fathers stone were three other names. Big Macintosh, one of her great uncles. Described as a stallion of few words. The strongest pony in Equestria, they called him. He had stamina which could match that of a dragons, some said. A true legend, especially in Ponyville. He taught Albany about dedication. Persisting at something and never stopping until you become satisfied in yourself. And even after that, you strive to do better. Not just for yourself, but for the ponies closest to you. The next name, AppleBloom. Her sweet great aunt. She was kind beyond any pony could imagine. She was a mare by the time she achieved her cutie mark. One of the latest recorded in all of Equestria. Until Albany came along, of course. But she always persisted, always maintained a level of hope. And she showed Albany that it will always pay off to strive for something. The next name, upon glancing at it, made Albany shed more tears. The pony she cared for most. Her Grandmother, AppleJack. The pony who taught Albany courage. The pony who gave Albany reassurance and hope when her father passed away... when her son passed away. She always wore a smile and was honest as any pony Albany had ever met. What was most impressive, above all else about Albany's grandmother was her abilty to harness one of the six elements. It was her claim as a far superior pony to most others. Ponies had stopped counting the number of times her and her allies protected Equestria from evil using these elements. She is even included in many history books. Albany didn't know much about the elements. Whenever she asked her Grandmother about them, she would simply always reply, "The elements riside in all ponies." There were six elements in total. Magic, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. They were for many thousands of years kept under the protection of Princess Celestia, and used as a weapon. Some say Celestia could wield them all at the same time. Albany didn't even know if they were allegorical or actual physical objects. She had always imagined a bit of both. Her Grandmother though, much more than that, was a pride and absolute joy to everyone who knew her. Albany stopped shedding tears and smiled. She would never achieve as much as her dear Grandmother, but she was content with that. She left her more than enough.

She pivoted and took a few steps back out the place of rememberence. She stopped in her tracks and bowed her head once more. She swore softly under her breath as another tear trickled down her cheek. Death becomes no easier to deal with. Equestria is a safe haven for many creatures. But eventually everyone has to go, it's something everyone must share. The tear left Albany's red cheek, and a second later hit the ground forming a wet patch in the dust. Albany looked closely at it. It was a strange coincidence that it was shaped like a heart. With a smile, she lifted her head confidently and trotted out the gate, and towards Ponyville. The entire time unaware she was being watched.