//------------------------------//
// Applejack: Problems Of The Past 
// Story: Derby Dilemma 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

                "I know it's not traditional, but it sure looks fast, don't it?!" Those were the words that were playing over and over in Applejack's head, now that another Applewood Derby had come and gone.

Apple Bloom, for her part, couldn't contain her excitement. "I'm the first Apple in the history of the entire derby to win 'Fastest Cart'!" she cheered, proudly displaying the ribbon she'd won. "Wait 'til I tell Granny Smith about this, it'll totally freak her frizz!"

But Applejack was dreading the trip back to Sweet Apple Acres, which is something she never would've thought possible. After all, it had been her home for years, and there were lots of memories there. Some more welcome than others. "If Granny Smith hears about what went down at the derby, she's sure to never let me forget it. I thought I was prepared for the responsibility when Ma and Pa passed away."

"Come on, Applejack, I can't wait to get home and show everypony the ribbon I won!" Apple Bloom called, eagerly speeding along the path to Sweet Apple Acres. "I can't wait for the next derby, so I can defend my title against any newcomers!"

Applejack sighed, and put on the best happy face she could muster up under the circumstances. "I'm comin', Apple Bloom, just hold on! There's no need to rush."

But Apple Bloom was far too excited to listen, or to sense her sister's worry. "If we don't hurry, it'll be dark before we get home, and Granny Smith will have already gone to bed! And that means I'll have to wait until tomorrow to tell her about the derby!" she responded, and continued her rapid pace. "I ain't about to wait that long if I can help it!"

Reluctantly, Applejack followed her younger sister as best she could. All the while she was thinking to herself. "How am I gonna explain myself to Granny Smith? To say nothing of what Big Mac might think. Heck, won't surprise me none if Apple Bloom goes to him for help when the next derby rolls around." 





The trip back to Sweet Apple Acres didn't take long and passed largely in silence, but for Applejack it seemed to take far longer than it normally did to get home. She was relieved when neither Granny Smith or Big Macintosh were waiting for her at the barnyard gate, hopefully they could be kept in the dark long enough to give Applejack time to think about how to best present her case.

Unfortunately, that hope soon faded. For just after Apple Bloom had gone inside to find Granny Smith, Big Macintosh came trotting out, and the glare that registered clearly on his face seemed to penetrate deep into Applejack's soul. "He knows! But who could've told him?" Applejack wondered, as she gulped and prepared herself for the inevitable lecture.

But Big Macintosh didn't say anything, he just pointed a hoof to Applejack, and then pointed towards the barn. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was trying to say.

Rather than speak up and reply, Applejack silently obeyed her brother's instructions. How long had it been since she'd had to be lectured by him on something? A few months? Maybe a year tops? Without saying a word, Applejack trotted to the barn, and waited.

Big Macintosh arrived shortly afterward, yet he still didn't say anything, even as he proceeded to shut the barn door tight behind him. It was not until he had trotted up to Applejack, that he finally broke the silence and spoke up. "I heard about what happened at the derby from Cheerilee, apparently Apple Bloom had a few 'complaints' about the way you handled helpin' her build her cart."

"I was wonderin' why Cheerilee was lookin' at me so funny," Applejack replied, realizing now that she'd been in hot water for longer than she thought. "Look, I know what you're gonna say. I just wanna say that, in the end: Apple Bloom got to build the cart the way she wanted it, Cheerilee agreed to hold the race again, and Apple Bloom won 'Fastest Cart', just like she wanted to." 

"That's true, but that certainly don't excuse you outright ignorin' what she wanted for the sake of tradition!" Big Macintosh said angrily, continuing to glare at his sister. "Didn't it ever occur to you that your sister has her own dreams and desires, and that she may not care about upholdin' some silly tradition?! Just because you care a great deal about it, doesn't mean she has to feel the same way!"

"I know just sayin' 'I'm sorry' ain't gonna fix what I did wrong. I done messed up," Applejack admitted. "But I didn't want Apple Bloom to get her hopes up for somethin' that no Apple's ever won in the history of the derby, until now anyway. Don't you think I tried to win somethin' other than 'Most Traditional' as a filly? We Apples ain't the most artistic, and why fix what ain't broken? Besides, I thought the old sayin' went 'Slow and steady wins the race'?"

"Speed may not be everythin', but it's still a necessity for a derby," Big Macintosh scolded. "And don't even get me started on your 'bright idea' of takin' over drivin' duty for what was supposed to be Apple Bloom's cart! Seems to me like you were tryin' to relive your own derby experiences, instead of helpin' Apple Bloom create her own! To say nothin' of the fact that you weren't concerned when you crashed into the other carts and caused a huge pile up!"

"Trust me, I'm still kickin' myself for not bein' concerned about whether or not Apple Bloom was safe," Applejack insisted. "I don't know what came over me, or why I was still so fixated on my cart. But I've been sayin' it for years, that eight-way intersection was a disaster waitin' to happen. I just hope those derby officials wisen up and change the track to a safer design next year. As for Apple Bloom, the things she was placin' on the cart wouldn't have made it much faster. If she really wanted 'Fastest Cart' so badly, she could've swapped with Rainbow Dash. Heck, I'm surprised Sweetie Belle didn't try to join with me so we could both win 'Most Traditional'."

"Apple Bloom wouldn't have been puttin' all those things on that cart if you'd just listened to her from the start, instead of once again ignorin' her," Big Macintosh angrily replied. "Why do you keep doin' this to her? She ain't a baby ya know, and you can't protect her from everythin'!"

"I just don't want to lose her like we lost Ma and Pa," Applejack confessed, a lone tear appearing in her eye. "It was all my fault. They told me that bridge wasn't safe, but I didn't listen! It's even worse that my mistake almost cost Rarity her life as well! If I hadn't been so foolish and thickheaded, Ma and Pa would still be alive!"

Big Macintosh paused, as he saw the tears streaming down his sister's face. Normally, she wasn't one to cry on the outside. So the fact that she was doing so, spoke volumes about the emotional pain she was in. Putting a hoof around his sister and adopting a gentler tone, he told her. "I know you miss 'em, I feel the same way. But you can't blame yourself, you had no way of knowin' what would happen. What happened with the bridge was an unfortunate accident that could've happened to anypony. And you can't let the pains of the past hold you back in the present, 'cause that'll only cause you to ruin the future. For yourself, and for others. I know you think clingin' to tradition will help you pretend like they never left, but you have to accept that things will eventually change no matter what. Sometimes the change is noticeable, other times it isn't. But change is important, and it can be for the better."

"And what if it ain't?" Applejack nervously asked. "What if it's a change for the worse, especially one you didn't want?"

"Well, unfortunately, that sometimes happens. Sometimes it's possible to change things back, and sometimes it isn't," Big Macintosh replied. "But often times, you won't know in advance if a change is good or bad, and you'll have to take a chance. In time, we all learn how to adapt to the change and move on," then he added. "It's great that you're proud of your Apple heritage, and the traditions we have. It's always good to have pride in yourself, but there's a reason why they say 'Pride goes before a fall'. Apple Bloom has her own dreams and desires, just like you do. Don't think I'm not aware of your rodeo career, and the many first place ribbons you proudly display. For Apple Bloom, racin' in the Applewood Derby and competin' for 'Fastest Cart' was like your rodeos. A chance for her to do somethin' truly unique, so she ain't defined by her family's legacy."

Applejack wiped the tears from her eyes as best as she could, as she said in response. "I guess I never fully got over Ma and Pa's passin', especially since I didn't get to say goodbye. This place just isn't the same without them. But it's wrong of me to keep tryin' to keep Apple Bloom from enjoyin' the life she wants to live. I just can't believe it's taken me this long to realize such a thing."

"At least you realize that mistake now," Big Macintosh told her. "And like you said earlier, you were able to help Apple Bloom build a new cart when Cheerilee agreed to run the race again, and this time Apple Bloom won the award she was tryin' for. Plus, nopony got hurt. As long as you understand the importance of not constantly clingin' to tradition, and that Apple Bloom's growin' up, I think you'll make a great big sister. Now come on, it's gettin' late and we should be headin' inside. I'll bet Granny Smith's already set to work on fixin' dinner."

As the two siblings exited the barn, Applejack couldn't help but look up to the night sky above. As she did so, two stars twinkled back at her as they shot past. "Ma, Pa, I sure wish you could've been here to see this," she thought to herself. "Apple Bloom finally broke that silly old tradition that's been plaguing our family for generations. Hopefully, she'll be replacing it with a much better tradition."