This canon story takes place during Chapter 82 of A Cloaked Heart, during a small paragraph that mentioned Jethro visiting Applejack at her parents' graves.

Big Mac's Perspective

Big Macintosh, otherwise known as Big Mac to those close to him, was a stallion of few words, everypony knew it. His family knew it, and so did all of Ponyville. They also knew him as one of the hardest working Ponies in Ponyville. Hardly a day went down where he wasn't seen in the apple orchards, or in the barn doing some form of maintenance, or even down at the market selling their wares.

But just because he rarely spoke didn't mean he couldn't communicate in other ways. He had very expressive dark green eyes, and when he did speak, he spoke with a wisdom beyond his twenty-nine years. A wisdom of plentiful experience and of the amazing lessons taught by his late parents and grandmother.

Big Mac was also an extremely protective stallion. Having two little sisters tended to bring that out in an older brother, especially after the untimely deaths of their parents all those years ago. He tried his best to be the lead example to both his sisters, especially young Apple Bloom, but he knew that he hadn't quite been the father figure the younger filly deserved in her life.

Of course, it hadn't been obvious to him until that strange alien Jethro Bethridge appeared and befriended the young filly. She'd bonded to him quite fast, it seemed. And Big Mac, being the protective big brother that he was, kept a sharp eye on him whenever he played with Apple Bloom. And he was pleased to see that the human had been a good influence on his youngest sister.

Big Mac had warmed up to Jethro, and while he talked more than the red stallion liked, Mac liked that the strange alien never pressed Mac to say anything he didn't want to whenever the two were working together. And Big Mac had to admit, he did enjoy hearing about some of those American folk tales. His favorite was one about a legendary human called Johnny Appleseed who planted apple trees during a time of colonization so that the colonists spreading west would have food to eat. He'd actually read the story from his fancy device during a dinner to the entire Apple family one evening not too long ago, and they'd all appreciated it.

Big Mac was working extra hard in the farm, milking some of the cows when Jethro stepped in. It was a Saturday, which meant milking day for the cows. Jethro had been actually given this Saturday off since he'd been busy planning for a date with the Pegasus he lived with, Scarlet Dusk. Big Mac tolerated her, only because she was a hard worker, but on the rare occasions where she and Jethro had worked together, Big Mac had heard the gray Pegasus using some innuendos that he felt wasn't appropriate, especially around Apple Bloom.

Jethro waved at Big Mac. "Hey, Big Mac."

"Hey," Big Mac said, not looking up from his milking. Milking a cow took practice, especially with the Earth Pony ability to grip things with their hooves. One had to imagine something like a miniature lasso coming out of their hooves and wrapping around the cow's teats before pulling down and letting the milk come out. Mac had heard about Jethro's own superior attempt at milking, but Mac had yet to see it.

"Milking day?" Jethro asked.

"Eeyup."

"Need help?"

"Eenope, thanks," Mac said proudly.

"Oh, come on, Big Mac," Daisy Jo said from behind him, "Jethro does some good work milking, dontcha know?"

"It's no trouble," Jethro added. "I just got back from Cloudsdale and needed a break from all that planning anyway."

Big Mac snorted, then motioned to an empty bucket and stool nearby. Jethro thankefully took the hint. He grabbed both, then looked at the other cows. "Who hasn't been milked today?"

Daisy Jo raised her hoof. "Do me!" she said eagerly.

Big Mac raised an eyebrow. Cows on Sweet Apple Acres were never that eager to get milked. It was, after all, a chore.

As Jethro led her out to the barn floor and took up a position beside Big Mac, the red stallion curiously looked over at how Jethro was doing it. He was surprised at how much more milk the human could get out, and he wasn't even using Earth Pony magic, or any magic for that matter. Jethro hummed a tune, then began singing, "Up on the house top reindeer pause, out jumps good old Santa Claus. Down through the chimney with lots of toys. All for the little ones, Christmas joys. Ho ho ho, who wouldn't go? Ho ho ho, who wouldn't go? Up on the housetop, click-click-click. Down to the chimney with good St. Nick."

"Who's Santa Claus?" Moo-riella asked.

"He's a key figure in Christmas legend," Jethro said.

"Christmas?" Even Big Mac was curious.

"It's a holiday that's a lot like Hearth's Warming is here," Jethro explained. "Presents, decorations, spreading goodwill through the world. The origins are different than Hearth's Warming, but it's pretty identical in how it's celebrated. I was singing about a mythical man called Santa Claus. He's an old man who travels all around the world on Christmas Eve and delivers presents to all the good little girls and boys of the world."

"That sounds really neat," Daisy Jo said.

"A lot of children back on Earth believe in him for years, and it adds to the joy they feel during Christmas," Jethro further explained. "Me? I never believed in him, but I also never denied his existence to other children around me who did believe. That'd be just wrong and steal some joy from them."

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.

"Can you sing some more songs?" Daisy jo asked.

"Sure," Jethro said, clearing his throat and launching into another tune he later identified as Deck The Halls. Big Mac bobbed his head to the beat. He could understand how this song could be festive. He even began humming the tune when he picked it up.

When the two of them finished milking the cows, about an hour had passed. As Jethro helped Big Mac pour the remaining milk into the milk cannisters, he asked, "Say, Big Mac? Where's Applejack? I didn't see your guy's cart in town today. That's one reason why I came up here, to see if she was sick or something?"

Big Mac's ears flattened and he looked down at the floor. In truth, today was the anniversary of their parents' burial deep in a secluded part of the farm, and it was family tradition to spend at least part of the day at their graves, paying their respects and washing the gravestones. "She's…payin' her respects," was all he could say.

Jethro's worried expression morphed into slow understanding. He walked over and put a comforting hand on Big Mac's back. "I know how that goes," he said. "I lost my parents too."

Big Mac hadn't known this about Jethro, and stared at the strange stallion in stunned silence for a bit. He saw the look in Jethro's eyes, though. The same he saw in himself sometimes whenever he looked in the mirror. A hidden grief. "Ah'm sorry," Big Mac said.

Jethro shook his head slowly. "Don't be," he said. "Not your fault." He looked out the door at the orchard beyond, his worried look coming back. "Can you tell me where she is? Nobody should really be alone when mourning."

Big Mac wasn't sure about that. He knew her sister liked to have time alone with her parents whenever she visited their graves. He also knew Applejack held a lot of her feelings in, much like most other Apples did when it came to grief. But he knew how close Jethro had come to not only Apple Bloom, but to the rest of his family, and Applejack was no exception. He worried about his sister a lot, and if he couldn't help, maybe this winged alien could. He slowly raised his hoof. "Past the farmhouse, follow the path to the left."

Jethro nodded, and jogged out of the barn before spreading his wings and flying off. Big Mac watched him go, hoping that he could help his little sister. Shaking his head, he went back to work…

Applejack's Perspective

Applejack sat back, panting hard. It had taken longer than it normally had, but she'd finished cleaning the gravestones of her deceased parents. She moved away, sitting before each stone. One read Bright Mac – Loving Parent and Husband and the other read Buttercup – Loving Parent and Wife

She removed her hat and set it beside her as she sat on her haunches, looking at the gravestones. "Hi Mom, hi Dad," she said softly. "It's been some time, ain't it?" She put on a smile. "A lot's happened since ah came by last time. Apple Bloom met a couple other fillies who ain't got their cutie marks yet. They're callin' themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Ain't that a hoot? They're doin' everythin' but tear out the kitchen sink tah find their special talents."

She took a deep breath, then continued. "Ah made a new friend this summer, too. Her name's Twilight Sparkle, and she's a Unicorn from Canterlot. She's a funny one, but she's a good mare. Ah think y'all would like her very much. Oh, ah also managed to save Equestria from a couple of big threats. Ya remember them Nightmare Moon stories y'all would tell us when we were young'uns? Welp, we defeated her. Oh, and we defeated somepony named Eris too."

After a short pause, she exhaled and looked down at the ground for a bit. She knew what she wanted to say, or rather, needed to say, but had to muster up the courage to do it. Finally, she faced the graves. "And…there's one more thang…ah met somepony else a while back. He's an alien…and he somehow knew about our world from his. And…ah'm ashamed ta say ah almost killed him. Ah didn't even think. Ah just…threw a lasso 'round his neck and tried ta strangle him. Ah know yer probably ashamed of me, up there in Elysium, and ah am too. He's a good stallion, and he says it's water under the bridge, but ah can't help but feel like ah owe him more than ah can give."

"I hope you're not talking about some other alien guy I don't know about," a familiar voice said from above.

Applejack jumped in surprise, standing and looking up just as Jethro himself came flying down gently, a small smile on his face. She frowned up at him as he landed and knelt so they were eye to eye. She trotted over and pointed at him. "What're ya doin' here?" she asked.

"I didn't see you in town today, so I was worried you were sick. Big Mac told me you were here, though," Jethro said, his smile faltering as he turned to look at the graves. Applejack's anger at being interrupted slowly vanished as he knelt in front of the graves and bowed his head. "Hello, Mr. Mac, Mrs. Butter."

Applejack sighed, the remainder of her anger vanishing. He knew just how it felt, she knew, and she couldn't really stay mad at somepony who knew the pain of losing kin. She moved to sit next to him. "Ma, Pa, this is the alien ah was tellin' ya about," she said, gesturing to the bowing Jethro. "His name's Jethro. He's a hardworkin' and honest stallion. He's done a lot fer Equestria."

"She exaggerates," Jethro said quickly. "Your daughter's done a lot for Equestria too. You'd be extra proud of her. I know I'm proud to call her my friend."

Applejack winced. Even after all these months, she still felt guilt over how she'd first treated him. Guilt and fear at what she was capable of doing in the right circumstances. She looked over at him, and felt more guilt when she saw how genuine his smile was. She looked away, staring at the ground for a while. Thankfully, Jethro didn't say anything, but instead she felt his hand on her withers, gently massaging her as they sat in reverent silence. Applejack had to admit that his massages felt pretty good. She closed her eyes and allowed the gentle shivers that she felt whenever he did stroke her mane or massaged her run down her body. Finally, she spoke. "How can ya be so forgivin'? How can ya be so patient? How can ya call me friend after what ah did?"

He made a small snorting sound. "Man, now I know what I sound like," he said. "Look at me Applejack." She slowly turned, forcing herself to look him in the eyes. What she saw stunned her. He was smiling at her, but there were tears coming out of his eyes. "If you can forgive me for what I did to Eris, why is it so hard to accept that I can forgive you?"

"Ah tried ta kill ya!" Applejack shouted, and for the first time in a long while, her control began to break. "Ah'm supposed ta be the Element of Honesty, for cryin' out loud, and ah just-" She stomped the ground angrily, tears threatening to pour out of her eyes. "Ah just-"

Just then, she found herself wrapped up in a feeling of warmth. She looked up and saw, to her astonishment, that Jethro had thrown his arms and wings around her. He ran his hand through her mane gently. "Don't hold onto guilt. Trust me. It burns a hole in your soul."

She stomped the ground again. "And…ah said ya lied tah us about those…stories about us…but Granny talked tah me about it after…it weren't our business," she said.

He nodded. "I got a similar lecture from Celestia a while back," he said. "I know how guilt can make us apologize over and over, and sometimes it feels like even though we're forgiven it might not be genuine. But I'm being genuine with you now. Applejack Apple, I completely and totally forgive you for our first meeting. Please…take that to heart. Forgive yourself. Nobody's perfect, but I love you all anyway."

Applejack finally burst into tears and buried her face into his shirt, bawling her eyes out like a little filly. All of her grief and mourning of her parents' death, as well as her shame and her self-hatred at what she'd done to Jethro came boiling up to the surface. She threw her forelegs around Jethro's midsection, sobbing hard. Her sobs and cries echoed through the nearby orchards, and Jethro's grip on her only tightened. She hadn't cried this much since her homesickness when she visited her relatives in Manehatten when she was a filly. She hadn't even cried that much at her parents' funeral.

The more she cried, the more she felt as if her soul was being cleansed. Cleansed by a rainstorm of tears, the salty liquid washing away all the filth and grime that had surrounded her heart, bringing it new life. She hadn't even cried this hard in front of her own family, but with this kindred spirit, one from another world even, she somehow felt as if they shared a specific bond. One that they could share. Maybe it was those small talks after his days on the farm that did it, but she trusted him.

The sun was just beginning head towards the horizon when she finally released him. It was growing colder now, and a part of her missed the warmth and security of his wings. It made her feel like she was being wrapped up in warm hugs from her mom or dad. She'd seen plenty of Pegasi parents hugging their foals in their wings, and now she understood the appeal.

Wiping her eyes with her hooves, she sniffed. "Ah…Ah'm sorry, Jethro. Ah'm sorry ya had ta see that."

However, when she looked up at him, she was surprised to see that he too had been crying. He took out a hoofkerchief and leaned closer, wiping her eyes tenderly, all while smiling kindly at her. He dabbed at his own eyes before handing it to her. "Go ahead and blow," he said.

She took it, blew her nose, then handed it back to him after folding it carefully. He put it in his pocket. "Thanks," Applejack said softly.

"Lemme guess: you feel like a lot of your grief has been washed away," he said.

Applejack nodded. Of course he'd know, she thought. "Too true," she said.

He sat down next to her, and continued. "You know, you look more beautiful now than I've ever remembered seeing you since I got here," he said. "Your face is more relaxed, the tension in your forehead is gone, and that grief is starting to vanish."

Applejack felt her cheeks get hot at those words. No stallion had ever called her beautiful before. She smiled a bit. "Ya mean it?"

He nodded. "I do mean it. A close second and third would have to be your Gala outfit and the one you had during your sleepover, although that was only in cartoon form."

Despite the situation, Applejack shuddered at the memory of the latter. "Not mah finest moment."

"Well, maybe someday I can see you in it," he said. "Here." He pulled out his phone and tapped on it. He turned it around and she saw an image of herself in what Rarity had called a frou-frou glittery lacey outfit. "Honestly, I'm kinda sorry I missed this in real life. You look stunning in it. And I know it isn't really your thing, and that's fine, but I think you pulled it off quite nicely."

She waved her hoof dismissively. "Nah, that's more Rarity's thing."

"True, but you still pulled it off," he said, smirking.

Applejack couldn't help it now. She chuckled, and Jethro laughed along with her. "Thanks fer sayin' so," she said. "And thanks fer comin' here."

"I know that nobody should really be alone when grieving sometimes," he said. "And I know how it feels when you hold onto something for so long that it begins to harm you. I'm your friend, Applejack, that'll never change. And I care deeply about my friends and their wellbeing. That includes emotional wellbeing."

"Ah appreciate it," she said. Then, she walked over and tapped my chest. "But if ya ever tell anypony 'bout me cryin', ah'll buck ya into the middle of next week."

He grabbed her Stetson with her magic and slowly put it on her head. "Noted," he said with a grin.

She grinned back, then put her hoof on his shoulder. "Ah've gotta git back. Soup's probably on. Yah wanna stay fer dinner? Ah'm sure Granny'd love tah hear more 'bout those folk stories from Earth."

He chuckled, then tapped on his phone. "Can Zecora come, too?"

Applejack beamed. "Of course!"

He tapped more on his phone, then held it out. From the phone, a strange song could be heard, then Zecora's face appeared. "Hello, love. Did you find dear Applejack?"

He turned the phone towards her. "She's right here, sweetie."

On the miniature screen, Zecora waved. "Greetings to you, Miss Apple. Poor Jethro was worried."

Applejack, stunned by this display of Earth technology, could only wave back, and said, "Ah'm fine, Zecora. No need ta worry."

"I'm glad to hear it." She smiled, then added, "Jethro, dear, did you need something? You know I'm still growing used to…what did you call it? Skype?"

He chuckled. "Sorry, I just wanted to ask if you wanted to come to Sweet Apple Acres for dinner. Applejack invited me, and I wanted you here too."

Her smile widened. "If I truly have received an invite, I would be delighted to stop by for a bite."

"Of course!" Applejack said. "Ah'm sure Granny'd love ta have ya!"

"Then I will be there shortly. See you then. Love you, Jethro."

"Love you too, Zecora." He reached up and tapped an icon that looked like a phone. Zecora's image vanished, and he put his phone back in his pocket. Standing, he held out his hand to her. "Come on, soup's on, everypony."

She grinned and took his hand. The two walked down the pathway, enjoying the peaceful silence of the evening. Applejack stole glances at Jethro, and couldn't help but admire this alien from beyond the stars. He was one of the best friends she'd ever had, and she hadn't had any stallion friends before now.

Having somepony-no, someone-like him around who she could actually talk to about this sort of thing? Now that was something she was truly thankful for.