[}—–{ A Dance Of Honest Laughter }–—{]

It takes a special sort of friend to make you smile when your thoughts are deep within the sad past.

"You know, Ah always like comin' out here at night."  The tired farmpony let out a sigh as she stared up into the twinkling heavens above.  "It's a might more peaceful than the barn."  Applejack looked up further only to see the worn brim of her Stetson hat blocking her view.  Smiling to herself, she lifted an orange hoof to push it further back on her head before leaning back further against the trunk of the apple tree she was lying against.  "Yep, nothin’ like sittin’ back after a nice day of work ‘round the farm.”

”Applejack?”/  The soft-spoken voice that she was privileged to hear only so often drifted to her ears, sounding firm and reassuring but containing a worried undertone that was not usually present.  ”Applejack, you out here?”  The orange mare scrambled up to her hooves at the sound of the voice, casting a worried glance across the tree line as she searched for the stallion who the voice belonged to.

Just as the deep red of her brother’s coat made itself visible from behind the trees, another sound made Applejack jerk around to stare in the other direction.  It was a filly’s gasp, followed by the sound of tiny hooves in the dirt.  ”Big Brother?”  Applejack was instantly reminded of Applebloom’s way of speaking when she knew that she had done something wrong and was confronted with it.  ”Is that you?”

Applejack watched as a smaller version of herself, when she had been about Applebloom’s age, stepped out of the trees and slowly walked over to where her brother had made his way into the clearing while she was looking the other way.  The two ghostly versions of her family embraced in the way that brothers and sisters often do.  ”Applejack, Ah was worried ‘bout you.”  The relief that flooded through Big Mac’s voice was proof enough that his words were true.

”Ah’m sorry Big Mac.  Ah jus’ wanted to come and see… them again.”  Applejack watched as the younger version of her brother ruffled filly-Jack’s mane before sitting down next to her.

”That’s all right, Applejack.  Ah miss them too.  The heavy notes of sadness tore at Applejack’s heart as she watched them from her spot against the tree trunk.  Hours seemed to pass before the Macintosh of the past spoke again.  ”Hey, Applejack?”

”Hmmm?”

”Promise me ya won’t go out this way without somepony else with you again.

Applejack couldn’t help but smile as her younger self jumped up to nuzzle Big Macintosh.  The apparitions of the past faded back into the air that they were composed of, their colors drifting apart slowly as even more time passed.