I entered the bedroom to find Applejack still sleeping soundly. I hated to wake her up, so I climbed in next to her. My plan could wait until morning, so I promptly let sleep claim me.

It wasn't long before I felt Applejack prodding me in the side, the morning sunlight already streaming through the window. I grunted in response and batted a hand at her. She responded to this by prodding me harder and forcibly removing the covers from the bed. I felt like I had only been asleep for a few minutes.

"Come on, sugarcube," Applejack said cheerfully, "up an' at 'em! There's work needin' done that ain't gonna do itself!"

I opened my eyes and looked at her. She took one look at my face and drew away in shock.

"Whoa, John," she said, "y'all look like somepony who's been all the way to Tartarus and back. Didn't ya sleep well?"

"No," I croaked, "I spent a lot of time last night thinking about something, and it gave me an idea. But I'll need your help."

Applejack looked worried, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Of course Ah'll help ya, darlin'," she replied, "because ya are mah husband after all. What do ya need?"

"I want to come with you on your next trip to see your parents." I said, "Any chance you could clear it with Luna?"

"Ah was actually gonna visit mah folks tonight," Applejack patted herself where the foal would be, "so Ah could tell 'em the good news about Junior here. It's about time ya met 'em, so Ah don't see why ya can't come along fer the ride."

I coughed nervously.

"As much as I would love to meet your folks, AJ," I murmured, "there's another reason why I want to visit the afterlife."

Applejack raised an eyebrow at me in confusion, but even she could see that the reason I was referring to was plastered all over my face. She lowered her eyebrow and looked at me.

"Derek..." she mused, "Ya want to see him, don't you?"

"I do," I replied, "because I need to know from the source if everything I've been doing since he died was worth it. I paid for his funeral and I've been visiting his grave every day to apologise for being such a cunt."

Applejack winced at my swearing before she laid a forehoof on my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Ya deserve ta know," she said gently, "so Ah'll be sure ta ask the Princess if ya can tag along. We can visit mah folks first, an' then we can find yer brother... though ya have ta be ready to accept that he might not be there."

I had heard of the Equestrian version of Hell, Tartarus, and hearing Applejack talk made me realise that there was a possibility that Derek had been sent there. I could only hope that the powers-that-be had been lenient with him.

"I'll accept it," I said, "when I can't find him. Thanks, AJ, for agreeing to help me. I don't know what I'd do without you. Hell, there are times when I can't believe you've stuck with me."

"Me neither," Applejack snorted, "but Ah'm glad Ah have. Now come on, let's get today done and then we can see about findin' yer brother and gettin' you the closure ya want."

We exchanged a kiss before she trotted out of the room and I got out of bed, feeling positive about the day which lay head.

The day passed by slowly, as any working person can agree, and I soon found myself crawling into bed again as the light of the moon crept through the cracks in the curtains, casting an ominous shadow onto the wall.

Applejack climbed into bed with me and kissed my forehead, her green eyes locking with my brown. No words were said as we both smiled and drifted off to sleep.

After a few seconds I found myself opening my eyes. But instead of our bedroom, I found myself standing with Applejack in an area devoid of light and sound. I looked around nervously, only stopping when Applejack grabbed my hand with a forehoof.

"Relax, sugarcube," she said softly, "this is Luna's doin'. She'll be along shortly ta see us."

As she spoke, a swirling black mist worked its way around my ankles before coalescing into the form of Princess Luna. Applejack and I both bowed to her. Luna tutted and rolled her eyes.

"There's no need for formalities here," she said, "so please rise. Now, Applejack, am I right in assuming that you wish to see your parents again?"

Applejack nodded. Luna then turned to face me.

"And you wish to go with her?" she asked, "Why?"

"Well," I replied, "I figured I'd like to meet AJ's folks and get to know them. But... there is another reason."

Luna walked in circles around me for a moment as she looked me up and down. Without warning she touched her horn to the top of my head.

"You wish to find your brother," she said, "and seek his forgiveness for your past actions."

She paused in thought for a moment before continuing.

"I have no objection to you doing this," she said, "but please make sure that you're aware of the fact that—"

"— he might not be there." I interrupted, "Sorry, Luna, but AJ has already mentioned this to me. And I'm ready to accept it."

Luna nodded curtly and charged her horn. Applejack and I stepped back as a doorway materialised in front of us. On the other side I could make out a massive city. Ponies of all kinds were going to and fro between monumental structures which stretched for miles into the sky above. But what struck me was the fact that they all seemed... happy.

"Welcome to the afterlife," Luna said, "where the souls of Equestria's departed spend eternity in peace."

"It's..." I trailed off, "I don't know what to say."

"Say nothin' then," Applejack said coyly, "at least until ya meet mah folks. Thanks again, Princess, fer doin' this."

Luna waved a hoof dismissively.

"Anything for a friend," she said, "especially one who will perhaps make me an honorary auntie?"

Applejack let out a loud guffaw and nodded, to which Luna responded with a squee. How ponies made that noise I'm still unsure, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't cute.

Luna composed herself and we said our goodbyes before entering the doorway into the afterlife.

Now, at last, my search could begin properly.

I was surprised to find that AJ's parents didn't live in the big city we had seen earlier, choosing instead to live on a farm. I was even more surprised when this farm turned out to be an exact double of Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack saw me gaping as we approached the farmhouse and chuckled.

"They missed the old place so much," she said, "that not even death could take 'em away from it."

I nodded in understanding as the door to the farmhouse opened. A mare and a stallion both stepped out and smiled as they saw us approaching. They didn't react to my presence in the way I expected them to, which told me that AJ had already told them about who, and what, I was.

"There's our darlin' daughter!" Applejack's mother squealed, "It's so good to see ya again!"

"Hey, Ma. Hey, Pa." Applejack replied, "Ah brought someone ta meet ya. This here's mah husband, John."

I held out a hand in greeting.

"It's a pleasure meet you both." I said, "Applejack has told me so much about the two of you."

Applejack's father shook my outstretched hand.

"The pleasure is all mine." he said in a Manehatten accent, "I am Temple Orange and this is my wife, Ariane Apple."

"Howdy." Ariane said as she shook my hand vigorously, "So y'all are the fancy human feller who swept our daughter off her hooves? It's a pleasure ta make yer acquaintance."

She let go of my hand and the two of them invited us inside. We went in and took a seat in the living room. The room, while exactly the same as the one back in the living world, was decorated with bits and pieces I didn't recognise. They were obviously decorations from when they lived on the farm themselves.

"So, Applejack," Temple said, "what brings you two here? We weren't expecting you for a few more days yet."

Applejack took my hand and let out a deep breath. She looked her parents straight in the eyes. But before she could talk, her mother had already worked it out.

"Y'all are gonna have a foal!" she squealed in a way that made her sound like Pinkie Pie, "Ah'm right, aren't I?"

Applejack and I exchanged a shocked glance before nodding.

"How did you work it out?" I asked.

Temple and Ariane copied Applejack and I, each of them taking the other's forehooves in their own.

"Because that's exactly what we did when we told our families that Ariane was pregnant with Macintosh." Temple replied, "That reminds me, Applejack, we'd really like to see him and little Apple Bloom at some point."

Applejack bit her lip.

"Ah can't promise anythin'," she said, "given that Ah don't like ta impose on Princess Luna, but I'll see what I can do."

Temple and Ariane nodded.

"Thank you," Ariane said, "but in the meantime Ah reckon we have some celebratin' ta do! Get the cider, Temple, and make sure that it's alcohol-free!"

Temple chuckled and went into the kitchen. He came out a few moments later with a keg over his back. He set it down and then went back in for some glasses.

Within minutes, I was telling my in-laws my life story. They reacted with expected shock and disgust at the revelation regarding my job, but they soon relaxed when I said I had put it all behind me. But eventually the conversation turned towards Derek, and the other reason for me being in the afterlife.

"Ah can't say that Ah've seen any other humans around." Ariane said, "So he's either keepin' to himself, or he was sent ta the fiery pits o' Tartarus instead."

"I'm hoping that it's the former," I said, "but if I have to go to Tartarus itself to get what I want, then I will. I owe him that much."

Temple and Ariane both looked shocked, but Applejack patted my leg in a show of support.

"Well," Temple said, "if you want to go look for him then I suggest you do so now, as the spell which brought you here will be cancelled at sunrise."

I stood up and looked at the clock. There were just two hours before the sun came up.

"I'd better hurry then." I replied, "Thank you for your hospitality, Temple and Ariane. I hope we can meet again sometime."

"Oh we will," Ariane said with a sly grin, "don't you worry 'bout that. Now go on and find yer brother. AJ can stay here with us."

Applejack and I both nodded. I gave her a quick peck on the lips and left, full of hope that I would find my brother...

... no matter what.

Author's Notes:

The names of Applejack's parents were the result of a reply I got to a post I made on the Applejack group forum, in which I asked what the widely-accepted names for them were. I got a reply from this chap, who made the following suggestion:

So, with this in mind, I consulted a list of apple varieties, and a list of orange varieties. A few minutes later and I had the names I was looking for.