She expected to be tired by now.

Grand Pear dapped his eyes for the second time while he shared a story about Granny from when they were kids. “Those Canterlot investors learned to fear the name ‘Smith’ after that. She was fiercer than a firecracker on a dry summer night,” he said. “Only thing she loved more than the farm was her family.” He looked directly at Applejack with two sad eyes.

Keep your chin up.

After Granny Smith passed, Applejack had been tired every day. Oh, she was still early to rise and early to rest, and always quick to pull a plough or pick some apples. But most times, it was paperwork she had to deal with. She had to handle the insurance policies, review existing orders for the farm’s apples and cider, and handle the mortgage payments on the new fields they had purchased just two months ago.

All that, plus she had to arrange the funeral, she had to inform the Apple family, and she had to keep her spirits up while she was giving lessons at the School of Friendship. What happened to just waking up and picking apples all day?

The only reason her mind didn’t give in was the same reason she could last through the funeral. She looked around and saw that there were ponies who cared.

Everyone made it a point to show up. Every relative of the Apples, including the Pears and Oranges, was in attendance. Moreover, friends of the family were there as well. Rarity cancelled a fashion show just to be a shoulder to lean on. Pinkie Pie cleared her schedule the moment she heard the news just so she could help organise the funeral invites. Fluttershy, preferring to go unnoticed, joined after the rest, but let Applejack know her door would be open whenever she was needed.

Even Princess Twilight herself put the entire royal court on hold to spend the day with her.

Applejack quit her gazing and brought her attention back to the speaker. Grand Pear had stepped down and let Babs Seed take the stage.

“I wanted to start by saying how much Granny Smith meant to me growing up. Even though it was far from home, the Apple family farm was always a place I felt safe. And Granny helped make it feel that way.”

Applejack took a closer look as she spoke, stunned to realise she wasn’t looking down at a little filly anymore. Babs was a good bit taller than when she last visited, and was clearly used to wearing the kind of makeup that fillies in the city liked.

No, she caught herself. Young mares, not fillies. Babs was nearly full-grown. And though her mascara and eyeliner would drip after a day in a hot field, Applejack had to admit, she looked as pretty as a young mare could possibly be.

Ought to visit Manehattan for a change. Shouldn’t have to wait for a funeral to see my niece grow up.

“The thing I’ll miss the most is how it never mattered how far I lived away, or what mistakes I made as a kid,” Applejack noticed Babs giving Applebloom a quick glance, "Granny Smith always cared, she treated me like an Apple when I needed it.”

She bowed her head respectfully and whispered a few private words over the coffin, and then sat back down beside Applebloom.

More went. One after the other, there wasn’t a single member of the Apple family who didn’t have a story about Granny Smith’s love for her family.

And when every pony had said their share, they all watched as Rarity and Twilight lent their horns, levitating the coffin and nestling it perfectly into the ground.

When it was over and everyone had said their goodbyes and assurances, shedding one last tear together in the process, relatives and family friends left in pairs or in groups, returning to their lives. For them, the funeral was sad but not much had changed. Goldy Delicious could return to her cats and add one more memory to the family scrapbook. Babs would return to Manehattan and go to school the next day.

“I wish I could stay longer,” Twilight said after a letter arrived through Spike’s flame delivery. “But there’s a disagreement between the hippogriffs and dragons that can’t be put off.”

“Ain’t gonna keep you here,” Applejack said, hugging her dear friend. “You got more responsibilities than the lot of us. Go.” The Princess nodded, and in a flash of teleporting magic, she was gone.

Applejack scanned around. Applebloom had already run off with her friends and her cousin Babs. She would have liked to talk to her little sister for a while, but she knew sometimes kids needed their friends to sort out family trouble. Big Mac was some distance away, too, talking to his wife Sugar Belle by the barn.

Her brother didn’t have a way with words, but that was usually with strangers. At home, when things were serious, he said what needed to be said. Now he was different. In the month since they found Granny Smith in the most peaceful sleep of her life, he grew quieter, barely saying a word at breakfast and always taking off to finish every chore so Applejack could handle the funeral.

For Applebloom, Big Mac still made an effort, and the two sometimes went over to the orchard where their parents had gotten married to talk. But between them, Applejack just couldn’t cross whatever barrier Big Mac had put up. In more ways than one, Granny’s death had made Applejack feel lonelier.

“Darling,” Rarity touched her shoulder, bringing her out of her own thoughts, “why don’t we go inside and brew up some tea? It’ll be good to get your mind off of things.”

Applejack nodded. In truth, the mourning had passed over her. Granny Smith was older than old, and they had been ready to say their farewells for some time before she passed. It made the work that came with her passing tolerable. Though, that also made it harder for Applejack to understand why Big Mac could hardly say two words to her before running off to do chores.

“I brought lemons and hibiscus tea we could use,” Fluttershy offered.

“That sounds mighty fine right about now,” Applejack smiled.

But they had all taken only a few steps towards the house when the sound of rushing wind came. Her friends turned to see, but Applejack kept her head down. She didn’t need to look to recognise the sound of her partner’s wing flaps.

“I came as quickly as I could!” Rainbow Dash was breathing hard, still dressed in her Wonderbolt uniform. “I’m not too late, am I?”

Suddenly, every anxiety and anguish she felt leading up to the funeral swelled back up like high tide, and Rainbow was the moon. The motley mare was a piece of work. Competitive beyond reason but yet fiercely loyal, seeing her only put the memory of asking her on a first date back into Applejack’s mind.

She counted the months under her breath. They had known each other for years, been best friends and great rivals for most of that time, but only in the last six months did that friendship crystallise into something new. Maybe the components had always been there, but one of them had to be the first to say it.

I asked her, Applejack remembered. I picked the place. Dinner at the Friendship Castle.

Pinkie Pie was over to her in an instant. “Dashie! Good, ole Dashie, one of our nearest and dearest friends. So glad you could make it with your incredibly busy schedule. How was the flight?”

Applejack stared as Rainbow Dash took one good look around at the emptied field where the funeral had been held, where chairs had been folded up and the coffin had already been buried. She had that shocked, blank expression that she always used when she flew too close to the sun.

Memories swirled like a tempest in Applejack’s head. She asked Rainbow out. She set up their first date. She set up every date. She invited her over to the farm on late nights. She arranged the harvesting schedules so she’d have days off to cheer at Wonderbolt shows. She put every ounce of effort into their new relationship.

Now her glare was as black as the night. What have I asked of you?

“You don’t have to do that, Pinkie,” Rainbow said, pushing the pink, poofy-haired pony back. Though it was springtime and the sun was still gentle, Rainbow Dash cast her eyes down, seeming to wilt like a raisin as Applejack continued to look at her.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I came as fast as I could, honest! But our show in Mount Aris went longer than I expected. I thought I had more time.”

But Applejack merely scoffed, taking her leave for the house. “Don’t try to make excuses. Two weeks! Two weeks ago you said nothing would keep you away. What, were the reservists busy?”

“N-no, but—” Rainbow began, but it was clear she had no defence against Applejack. “I don’t know how many times I have to say, but I truly am sorry. I’ll say it for the rest of my life if I have to. I just,” Rainbow took a minute to keep her voice from whimpering, something Applejack had rarely seen her girlfriend do. “I just don’t want you to be mad at me.”

She paused outside the door and stared at Rainbow. “Mad?” Despite her frustration, Applejack managed to shoot back a sharp laugh. “Oh, Celestia knows this would be easy if I could be mad at you, Rainbow Dash.”

“But you’re not,” the Wonderbolt said, the tone in her voice dreading what would come next.

Applejack let the silence hang in the air for a moment while she waited at the door. Anger was easy, and she knew it was what Rainbow was hoping for. They could work through plain anger. Luna knew they already had if her dreams were anything to go by.

But, it was as she said. Being mad was easy. She considered shouting, screaming at her about every past grievance, calling this the last straw, and slamming the door in her face. Rainbow would feel bad, awful even with their friends around to see the outburst, but it would still be a mercy compared to what she wanted to do.

But she was done doing favours for Rainbow Dash. It was high time she did something for herself.

“No,” she finally said, “I ain’t mad. I’m just tired Rainbow. Think I have been for a while now.” She turned to Pinkie Pie. “Sorry to cut the party short, sugarcube, but I think I just want to rest right now.”

Pinkie Pie watched sadly from the window of the Sugarcube Corner as Rainbow ate away her feelings. It was foolishness, undoubtedly, to think that pastries and candy could make the ills of the heart go away. Eating so much at once usually just brought ills of the stomach to join it.

When Pinkie was a child, she had wanted nothing more than to make those around her smile. She thought herself a master at her craft, but her family’s rock farm wasn’t even large enough to be seen on a map, and Ponyville was one of the most welcoming towns in Equestria. In reality, she had only been challenged on a few occasions. Hardly enough to call herself a paragon of laughter.

But she knew one thing, at least. She couldn’t make someone happy unless they wanted to be, and Rainbow Dash had an aura of self-loathing that was as strong as they came.

“My girlfriend hates me,” the pegasus muttered.

“No, Applejack doesn’t hate you,” Pinkie assured. “If right now Discord lost his mind and turned you into a flower pot, she’d still do anything to get you back.” She then quickly flashed a glance at every corner of the bakery.

“Don’t you get any ideas, buster,” she shouted out to the void, “I know you’re listening!”

“Just stop, Pinkie.” Rainbow stuck her straw in her mouth and blew into her drink, forming a thick layer of bubbles above the grape-flavoured soda pop. “Discord’s friends with Big Mac, he’s probably coming up with some insane plan to make him feel better.”

She groaned, pressing her hooves over her head. “Ugh, now Discord even sounds like a better friend than me.”

“By my calculations, it’ll be a week until the silent treatment wears off,” Pinkie said. “Are you going to spend that time stuffing yourself? Or are you going to have the best gosh-darn apology when she finally talks to you again?”

“Sorry,” Rainbow said, “but I don’t even know if I deserve the chance. I mean, it was Granny Smith’s funeral! How could I miss that? How?”

She had the look of a puppy with wet, miserable eyes, but Pinkie had little interest in coddling the grown mare. Even the idea of creating pleasurable party pursuits with her powers of pep and persuasion was hardly compelling. There had been a hangpony’s noose slack around the neck of Applejack and Rainbow’s relationship, but now Pinkie could see it tightening. And she was going to cut them free.

“I have just the thing.” Pinkie Pie, always being prepared for interpersonal tension, reached behind a framed picture of the Cake twins hanging by the door and pulled out a doctor’s stethoscope. “The love doctor is in.”

“Pinkie, how are you a love doctor?” Rainbow asked. “Have you ever dated anyone?”

“Well, things are steady with Cheese right now, but he’s off travelling and— No!” Pinkie pushed her thoughts away. “This is about you right now. There’s only one question you have to ask yourself. What’s more important to you, forgiveness or regret?”

Rainbow blinked. “What?”

“Answer the question!”

“Ah! Okay!” The Wonderbolt sat up in her seat, responding to Pinkie’s yelling as if she were a cadet again. “Forgiveness, I guess.”

“Wrong!” Pinkie stuck her tongue out mockingly.

“Wait, really? How am I supposed to fix this without forgiveness?” Rainbow said, trying to sound snappy though her tired voice wouldn’t allow it.

“If you think like that, your apology won’t be worth a single apple,” Pinkie said. “Apologies aren’t for forgiveness, they’re for telling the other pony you realise you were wrong. Forgiveness will come when that pony thinks you deserve to feel better.”

“I know I was wrong!” Rainbow slammed her hoof down. “And I apologised, but AJ still didn’t accept it. What am I supposed to do about that?”

“Try harder, be better,” Pinkie said. “I mean, Applejack’s one of our closest, hard-working-est, thoughtful-est friends ever. And, if I’m being honest, she’s about as good at being loyal as you are. Maybe even more. Don’t you want to put in the effort to make her happy?”

“Of course.” Rainbow sipped her soda. “But I guess it’s not enough. At first I thought she was pulling my tail when she asked me out, but once I realised she was serious, I tried everything! She’s always busy with the farm so I let her pick our dates, I get her free tickets to every Wonderbolt show, and I help around the farm whenever I can even though I can never do the chores exactly how she wants it. It's like she doesn’t appreciate everything I do.”

“Then let her know,” Pinkie said, “or ask her what she expects from you. Even if everything you said is true—and I mean that’s a bit of a big if, you’re kinda a mess half the time so I dunno if it’s how you say it is—you pretty much tipped the scales today. Talk to her and make things right.”

“But you said I should have my apology ready by the time AJ talks to me. Now I’m just supposed to go up to her and ask? That’ll make her even madder!”

“I know what I said!” Pinkie screeched, exasperating herself. “Listen, this is a very delicate situation you’re in. You gotta plan this very carefully, capisce?”

“Look, I don’t have it in me to deal with you right now,” Rainbow said, getting up off her seat. “I just want to be alone.” The Wonderbolt dragged her hooves out to the street and flapped her wings, kicking up a cloud of dust before trailing off.

“Maybe you can focus on that feeling to sympathise with Applejack!” Pinkie shouted after her, but she doubted the words made it. Rainbow Dash was long gone.