A breeze brushed by the curtains through the open window and invaded the dim, moon-lit room with its chill. Summer was only a month away, but that didn't keep some of the late nights of spring from being any less cool. The air wrapped around the restless farm pony on the bed like tendrils of a plant climbing a fence post, earning a shiver from the mare.
Applejack rolled on her side and stared out the window with reminiscing eyes. At the very least, she'd been doing this for the past hour. Just tossing and turning, willing her eyes to close so she could get some well-deserved rest. But how could she sleep when the events of that day were still so fresh in her memory?
With a soft sigh, she lifted herself out of bed and made her way to the window. Instead of closing it, she crossed her hooves on the window sill and cradled her head against them.
The moon draped its light around Applejack as she stared up at it and the countless, floating diamonds in the dark ocean that was the sky. Every star was woven into a memory; everywhere she looked, she saw that day's events. She chuckled at the thought. It sounded like something Twilight would do, just glancing up at the stars and seeing a deeper meaning. But the glittered sky was still the perfect canvas to lay out her memories.
It had possibly been the largest gathering of Apples to date, and AJ had been foolish enough to believe she could handle it all on her own. She took pride in her work and the load that she could usually carry. Unlike Twilight, she was not as well-equipped for managing such a large number of ponies. She also hadn't thought of how to best tackle the fun aspect for such a large gathering; Pinkie Pie would have helped had she asked. In hindsight, she didn't plan it all through, and it nearly landed the reunion in ruin.
She'd been desolated at first, but her family had been quick to step up to help out. They were eventually able to turn the reunion from something that had been sure to fail into an Apple Family Reunion that would be remembered throughout the generations. She had never seen Granny Smith beam with such pride, and the thought of making the elderly mare proud was enough to keep Applejack happy for weeks to come.
But something bit at the back of her mind; something that Granny had said to her before she went to call it a night. Yer ma and pa would be proud of ya.
That's when it dawned on her; all but two of her family had been at the reunion.
Applejack clenched her eyes shut as the realization rang through her head, only opening them once it had faded. Her eyes stung from the force of fighting away revolting tears. Why did Granny have to bring them up? Didn't she know how much it would affect her? Perhaps she didn't.
It's not that she hated her parents. She loved them with all her heart, and she missed them dearly. If she had spent her life up to this point mourning them, she knew that her work would have been neglected. As much as it hurt to say it, she was responsible for the farm and had to continue on with their work.
So she had just buried her grief deep within the crevices of her mind, hoping that it would not invade and cripple her again as it had done so long ago. But grief was a living thing, and like all living things, it needed to breathe, and it had to escape its confinement to do that.
These were the phases that Applejack now had to live through for what would possibly be the rest of her life. Happy one second and depressed the next. Over time, she learned to take it in stride, and it would eventually pass. But she also knew she needed help doing so.
Applejack took a deep, shaky breath and rose from the window, gazing one more time at the fabric of the sky before nodding to herself and turning. She grabbed her signature Stetson off a hook by the bedroom door and exited.
The faint light from the moon disappeared behind the closing door, leaving Applejack alone in the dark of her sleeping home. She allowed her eyes time to adjust before making her way quietly down the hall.
A soft thump tickled her ears. She stopped and listened again. Nothing. Shaking her head, she glanced over at a door left ajar. She tiphoofed over to the room and quietly nudged the door open.
Much like her own room, Apple Bloom's room was dark, lit only by the moonlight allowed in through the uncovered window. The light extended its reach across the room, catching strands of the mess that was undoubtedly there. A little filly slept soundly on the bed.
Applejack leaned against the door frame and stared at her little sister, donning a small smile.
Apple Bloom had been so excited that day for the reunion and for the chance to see her cousin again. It was surprising to Applejack how quickly the two fillies had grown nearly inseparable. She guessed it made sense considering they shared common interests and goals, and both would stop at nothing to accomplish them.
Aside from spending time with Babs, Apple Bloom had also taken the chance to meet other family members, even her cousin's parents.
Applejack had seen the happiness in her little sister's eyes when she saw how well Babs Seed and her parents got along. No resentment, no sadness, but perhaps a longing?
Apple Bloom had been early in her foal years when their parents had left them, so she had never gotten to know them like Applejack had. Maybe that was for the better. It's always more difficult to lose something that you've known your whole life than something still largely unknown to you.
Still, that look in Apple Bloom's eyes was enough to tell Applejack that her sister knew what she was missing out on, and that tore her up inside.
Before she even knew what hit her, Applejack felt droplets fall from her cheeks. She clenched her eyes shut, willing her tears away, before opening them again. Apple Bloom still slept in her bed, her body rising and lowering in rhythm to her gentle breathing.
Letting out a quiet breath, Applejack made her way to her resting sibling and pulled the blanket up to cover the rest of her body. She gently kissed Apple Bloom's forehead. "I love you, li'l sis," she whispered, rising up from her sister's side and tiphoofing out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
~~~
Applejack walked through the expansive cluster of apple trees, listening to the company of chirping crickets. Somewhere in the distance sounded the screech of fruit bats, now awake after sleeping off the meal they had feasted upon earlier that day.
She sighed. Sure, the day had been poorly planned, but those pesky little varmints had been the apex of that disastrous afternoon. Then again, they were also the cause of the turning point. Hay, if it weren't for them, her family probably would have left unsatisfied with the day. So for that, she thanked them. Still, if she saw one of them eating the apples off her trees – which she had no doubt they were – she'd shout them off like the pests they were.
She shook the thoughts from her head. Being angry certainly wasn't going to help her feel any better.
Applejack continued her pace through the apple woods, her steps mechanical as she began to lose herself to her massing thoughts. A twig snapped somewhere behind Applejack. Snapping out of her near-trance, she stopped and turned to face the source.
"Anypony there?" she called out quietly, eyes shifting around the many shaded trees. A rustling came from above her; she darted her gaze up just in time to see a fruit bat springing from the tree in flight. She sighed, "They're all scattered about now, huh? We ain't gonna have any apples left by the time those varmints are through..."
The rest of the trek went by quietly, with only nature as Applejack's companion. She was okay with that. It helped to ease her mind for what was next to come.
She stopped. In front of her was a large oak tree, a giant among the smaller apple trees. In front of it were two slabs of stone protruding from the grass. She slowly made her way to the stones and sat down.
Applejack had been there only a few times before, the first being when she was still just a filly. Every visit had been bittersweet, filled with both smiles and tears. It was the only time she could ever speak with her parents and tell them what had happened. They were her strength, but also her weakness; with every heartfelt and happy story came the realization that she had done it all in her parents' absence. This would no doubt be the same.
Applejack took a deep breath before closing her eyes to picture the two ponies in front of her. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it to reconsider her words. A moment later she tried again.
"Howdy, ma, pa... I know I haven't been comin' to see y'all these past couple years, and I'm deeply sorry 'bout that. But I figured I'd been doin' alright without havin' to. Now I know that I've been a bit selfish in thinkin' I didn't need y'all, but I do. Now more than ever."
Applejack paused before continuing, "Only a couple of days ago we got word from the family all over Equestria. They all said they'd be comin' to the reunion. And they all did. Every last Apple that y'all could imagine came." She smiled. "The family's really grown since the last reunion y'all were at.
"I decided I'd try an' take up the responsibility for the gatherin', but I bit off more than I could chew. Everything was a disaster from the start... Nopony was havin' a good time, but I figured I had the perfect plan to set things straight. I got the ol' wagon out for a nice ride. Even had it so the fruit bats could join in. I figured they'd put on a nice show for everypony; they did that an' more."
Applejack sighed and glanced up at the tall oak. Tiny specs of starlight shone through the canopy of leaves above her. "Those varmints ruined everything. But I guess I shouldn't blame 'em for it all. I'm just as much to blame as them.
"But everypony was so understandin' about it. Even Granny wasn't angry with me 'bout the mess. They all really helped me pull the reunion back together. I'm so thankful for their help."
A smile crept to Applejack's face as she recalled the wonderful events. "Everypony was workin' together to rebuild the barn, and we all had a great time talkin' with one another. I got to spend more time with cousin Braeburn, and Apple Bloom got to spend more time with her cousin Babs...
"Oh! An' Apple Bloom has grown up so much since y'all last saw her. She's doin' really well in school; Granny makes sure of that. She's got her own little gang of fillies she plays with. They call themselves the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'," she chuckled. "I swear they'd try anything to get those cutie marks... Maybe one day they'll learn."
The smile slowly faded from her face. She closed her eyes and sighed. "She was talkin' to Babs' parents today. I don't think she noticed, but I saw that look in her eyes. She just had that look of wonder... She doesn't know what it's like to have real parents. I sometimes wonder if it was for the best that she never got to know y'all, but, after thinkin' about it, I know that ain't true."
Applejack opened her eyes, releasing the build-up of tears. "It was a real honor to know y'all, and I'm just so sad she couldn't have that chance too. I love y'all and miss y'all so much..."
A snap forced Applejack from her conversation. She quickly shot a glance back behind her and saw the tiniest flash of red dart behind a nearby apple tree. "Who's there? I saw y'all behind that tree. Come out!"
A small, messy, red mane slowly poked out from behind the tree. AJ's eyes widened. "Apple Bloom?! What in Equestria are you doin' out here this late? You should be asleep."
Apple Bloom stepped out from behind the tree and slowly made her way to Applejack. "I know, but I saw you leavin' the house, so I decided to follow you. I'm awfully sorry for leavin', but I was worried. You were actin' kinda funny."
Applejack sighed and looked back at the two stones for a moment. "It's alright..."
She sat back down, staring at the graves with almost unblinking eyes. Apple Bloom plopped down beside her and looked at them too, but with a more curious gaze.
A few moments passed in silence, the crickets returning to make their presence known. Apple Bloom finally glanced up at Applejack; her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, and her lips drawn in a frown. She looked back at the stones. "What were they like?"
"Huh?"
"What were they like?" Apple Bloom repeated, looking back up at Applejack. "Our parents, I mean..."
Applejack glanced back at the two gravestones. "Oh... Well, they were the most hard-workin' ponies I had ever known, even more so than me and Big Mac. They loved this farm and did everything they could to keep it runnin' after Granny wasn't able to work anymore. The reason this farm is as big as it is... It's because of them. They wanted Sweet Apple Acres to be the best it could be for all Equestria. We're known for our apples because of our ma and pa."
"Wow, really?" Apple Bloom asked, a smile erupting on her face. "They must've worked really hard to do all that!"
"They did," Applejack chuckled, "but even with all the work they did, they always made time for family. They loved playin' with me and Mac when we were younger, and they always took time away from apple buckin' to help us with our homework.
"I hadn't seen 'em happier when you were born. You were like a dream-come-true for 'em. They talked almost non-stop about you when they was expectin' ya."
Apple Bloom's eyes lit up. "What did they say?"
"Well, I've been told that it was the same with both me and Big Macintosh, but I almost can't imagine it. Ma and pa were always smilin' and talkin' about the things they was goin' to teach ya. I think that before they knew that you were comin' along, they'd probably started to lose that spark of happiness they'd always had. But you coming into their lives made that happiness bloom again... That's why ma chose that name for you. At least that's what she said."
Apple Bloom leaned her head against Applejack. "They sound amazin'. I wish I got to know 'em."
Applejack wrapped her hoof around Apple Bloom, bringing her in closer. "I think you do know 'em. But if you ever have questions for 'em, just come here and close your eyes. Then just talk and I bet they'll hear you. Why not try talkin' to 'em?"
Apple Bloom nodded and closed her eyes. "Howdy, y'all, this is Apple Bloom... I don't know if y'all can hear me, but I wanted to talk to you. I'm not really sure what to say. I wish I'd known y'all like Applejack did, 'cause y'all sound like great parents!
"It's getting kinda late now, but if it's okay with Applejack I'd like to come back and talk to y'all some more. I've got so many things to ask you!"
A gentle wind blew against the sitting sisters; cool, but not uncomfortable.
Apple Bloom sank deeper into Applejack's side with a wider smile. "I think they said 'yes'."
"I think you're right, AB," Applejack said, closing her own eyes.
After a few seconds of silence, Applejack heard soft snoring and looked down at her sister. She smiled. "It looks like you were a bit too tired to be stayin' out this late," she whispered to Apple Bloom as she dozed against her. Applejack gently lifted Apple Bloom up to rest on her back and started the trek back home.
As she made her way back, with Apple Bloom sleeping peacefully in tow, she knew that everypony had been at the reunion that day. Her parents may not have been there in body, but she took comfort in knowing that, no matter where she was, and as long as she kept them close to her heart, they would always be there in spirit.
Author's Note
I relate to Applejack in a couple of ways, the major one being that I, too, have lost a parent.
After a hard day's work, I imagine that she suffers the same thing that anyone else who has lost someone. This is how I imagine a night like that would be for her.
Proof readers/editors:
GreenDragonIris
watermelonpizza
Ibeabronyrapper
Phasenine
TellabArt
Art by Petano Prime. Check the art source for a link to his page. :)
