gasp

“She’s just precious!” Applejack peered over the rim of the crib at the sleeping filly. Her eyes were bright and curious only an hour ago, but now she was asleep. She had the look that could instantly melt hearts, the look that only foals have. Which is good, because the amount of work a foal places on most parents would force them to murder their offspring if they weren’t so gosh darn cute. “Kin Ah hold ‘er one more time?”

A massive stallion with a rusty coat and a big red apple sliced in half for a cutie mark looked away from the sleeping foal in the crib and down at Applejack. Big Mac’s chest heaved once as he sighed, causing the heavy plow harness around his frame to shift up and down. His tired smile and droopy eyes still didn’t prevent him from mussing Applejack’s mane with one powerful hoof. “Nnnope.”

“But why not?” she whined.

Big Mac sighed again, “Leave yer little sis alone, AJ. Ah know ya want to play with ‘er but she’s plum tuckered out. Foals’ve gotta sleep.”

“That’s right sugarcube.” The door creaked open and a dark brown pony with a blond mane entered. She pulled the cowpony hat from her head and tossed it to hang from the post of the crib. Big Mac had dragged the crib into this room only a few hours ago, and shallow furrows in the floor traced lines to the bed’s posts. It was the only flaw in the otherwise new room. Bright, cheerful pastel colors dominated the room’s walls and ceiling. It almost forced anypony who entered to feel warm and happy inside. “It’s time fer everypony ta hit the hay.”

“Aww but Mama, I’m not sleepy yet,” Applejack whined as she tried and failed to stifle a yawn.

Candy Apple smirked at her daughter, then turned to her new foal and smiled. Her eyelids felt like they had two barrels of apples pulling them down. “Big Mac, kin ya put the kids to bed?” Her husband nodded.

“Don’tcha talk back to yer ma. Git yer flank down here and give yer ma n’ pa some peace n’ quiet!” Granny Smith’s voice carried an elderly authority despite her age. Applejack kissed the new foal on the head and galloped out of the room before her parents could object. As she bucked the door closed she could still see her mother’s cutie mark: three green apples. She couldn’t wait to get a mark of her very own. She bounded down the stairs with wild energy. When she reached the bottom, she got stink eye from her grandmother. “Quit makin’ such a racket. It’s late and everypony needs ta sleep.”

Applejack looked out over the family room. There were no pictures of the new foal. Plenty had been taken but they had no time to develop yet. She knew they would appear on the mantel in less than a week. Granny Smith was seated in a rocking chair in front of the fire, knitting. The ball of fine red thread she was using to knit with was held in the hooves of a knobby-kneed colt seated on the floor. From his dour expression you wouldn’t know he had recently acquired his cutie mark. A large green apple sliced in half adorned his flank. “Enjoyin’ yerself there Li'l Mac?” Applejack said as she grinned at her brother.

Li'l Mac glared at her and spoke like his father, “Nnnope.”

Granny Smith squinted at her grandchildren and snorted. She didn’t play favorites, but right now Applejack was being too noisy and Li'l Mac was being silent. That was their way, but she needed to finish this ribbon for the new foal and she wanted to keep her granddaughter quiet. “Ya done a good job Li'l Mac. Go help yer Pa. Applejack, it’s yer turn to help me.”

Li'l Mac smiled and held out the ball of fine crimson thread. Applejack sighed, and plopped herself down on the floor to take his place. Li'l Mac stood and Applejack’s brow went flat. She wasn’t a small filly but her brother was just too big. He was already nearly the height of a stallion and his growth showed no signs of slowing down. He would soon be as large as their father. He trotted upstairs making less sound than Applejack, even with his extra weight.

“Hold it like this.” Granny Smith stuffed the ball of yarn in AJ’s mouth and wound the fine thread around her hooves like a tape reel being fed from a movie projector. “And keep still, ya silly filly. I need ta finish this.” Granny Smith smiled at her granddaughter as she mumbled something behind the ball of thread. That’ll keep her quiet fer a spell. She continued to knit. It was tedious and difficult work, but she didn’t mind. It’s not every day she had a new granddaughter, after all. Applejack sat in sullen silence, her brow still flat. She tried to keep her eyes open but every minute or so she began to nod off. The fire was warm and she was getting sleepy. A log in the fireplace popped once, causing her to snap her head up.

GASP

Applejack bolted upright in her bed. Sunlight filtered through the curtain and into her face. She blinked a bleary set of emerald eyes. She rubbed the sleep out of them and when she looked she saw wetness on her hooves. She stood and fumbled about for a moment before she found her cowpony hat hanging on the post of her bed. She flopped it onto her head and took a deep breath. “Don’t worry, AJ. Just a memory; it can’t hurt ya,” she said to herself.