It's Not If, It's When. It Just Ain't Now.

by Bysen

When

It was rule they’d set for her ages ago, that Applebloom couldn’t start dating until she got her Cutie Mark. While it had never been an issue before now, Sweetie Belle had started going out with some colt named Button Mash. Naturally, Applebloom had started thinking about dating as well. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who you asked, there wasn’t really anypony she liked all that much. Instead she turned her focus on her elder siblings.

“Come on sis!” Applebloom continued on yapping on as they all sat by the table eating their dinner. It was a the the end of the week so Granny Smith had made one of her famous pies as usual, and even though Applejack had already finished her piece, she stayed at the table as always to be polite. “I set Big Mac up, let me do the same fer you!” Applebloom continued.

The filly wanted to set AJ up with some stallion, and most likely already had and was now just trying to get her to go along with whoever it was. AJ didn’t have the heart to tell her little sister that Cheerliee’s ‘It’s just not ethical to date the brother of one of my students. But once you graduate, I’ll ask him out.’ was basically her turning down to Big Mac.

“Ah don’t need ma little sister intaferen with ma love life. Ah should choose whoever ah wanna be with,” Applejack paused for a moment, trying to think of the right words to use here. “Not ta have my family choose who ah should be seeing for me.” was what she came up with. It stated her point but didn’t suggest anything. Really though, she had no reason to fear. She had no idea how any of her family really felt about couplings like this, she just assumed the worst.

She hated when other ponies made assumptions about her family just because they were farmers. Cousin-humping, racist, homophobes. Problem was, she was making one of those assumptions herself. She didn’t really like ‘filly-foolers’ until this had started this but she didn’t really mind them either. If she had weighed her opinion of them just one month ago, it would’ve been negative. If only slightly, but negative none the less.

“Well how do you know I won’t choose somepony you wouldn’t like.”

“Would it happen ta be Caramel?”

“Um… not no more it’s not.”

“Well ah say ya do it missy!” Granny Smith said, slapping the table with a hoof. “Don’t think ah’ve ever even seen ya with a colt. My day ah’da loved ta have the pick of the litter like you do. This here town where a lot smaller then it is now, barely a single other pony moved here ‘til ah where already your age and ah never even had a date until ah where nearly thirty. Didn’t meet yer granpa ‘til ah where twice your age. So ah say get out there!”

Applejack sighed a little, Granny Smith had given that same speech to Big Mac a couple of years ago. She was right though, well mostly. “Ah can’t.”

“Oh hush now. No reason fer you ta worry none. If it takes time away from the farm your brother can handle things. And if you’re worried about the las’ time… well you’re smarter now. You know how ta make sure it don’ happen twice. Shouldn’t let it take control’a ya.” Granny Smith said, clearly talking about her great-gran-daughter’s conception.

Applejack was a little worried that Applebloom may ask what Granny Smith was talking about, but she’d probably learnt her lesson, considering how she’d been scolded the last time she’d ask Applejack about her first coltfriend.“It ain’t that. It’s just, ah’m already seeing somepony.”

“REALLY!?!?!?” screamed Applebloom, startling all three of the others around the table. “Who?! Ya gotta tell me who it is!”

“Thought so.” Big Mac said with a small smirk. He’d noticed how his sister had been going off a bit more than usual and how happy she looked a few times over the last few weeks.

“Ain’t ganna say.” Applejack bluntly said.

“So yur going out with somepony, but you won’t say who? I don’t believe ya sis. You ain’t really seein’ no pony.”

“Hush up now Applebloom.” Granny Smith defended. She had to admit it was a little strange Applejack would say she was seeing a colt but not say who. Also that she’d kept it a secret. It could’ve just never come up or only been going on a short time or something. It was a little mean but Granny Smith decided to tease AJ a little. “That’s good ta hear Applejack! Should get a ring on his hoof before he escapes, you ain’t getting any younger and trust me, ya don’t wanna wait ‘til you were as old as I was when I settled down. Almost missed my time fer having kids maself it took so long!”

“Eww….” Applebloom said. She knew full well how that stuff worked. Granny Smith just chuckled at her reaction, though mostly because she had hoped to get the reaction from Applejack instead. But Applejack had been completely sombre about it.

“Ah don’t think that’s ganna happen, Granny. It ain’t that kinda relationship.”

“Oh ah see, it’s that kind of relationship. Well no wonder ya didn’t tell us.” Granny Smith said, again joking, but hoping she’d get some real info as a response. And she did.

“No! It ain’t that either… it’s complicated.” Applejack paused. It was true but saying ‘it’s complicated’ was a stupid thing to do and so cliché. She’d gone this far, she might as well just say it. “I really love her.”

“Wellen if ya love ‘em then why don’t you put a ring on ‘em?” Granny Smith said. It lifted AJ’s hope that her family didn’t care that she was seeing another mare.

“’Her’?” asked Applebloom. “You said ya really love ’her’”

“Yeah, ya did.” added Granny Smith questoningly, and AJ’s heart sank back down to where it was before. “You saying you’re seeing a filly?” she asked with a dash of sour in her tone. Felt more like a whole lemon full of sour to AJ though.

“Ah, ah am.”

“Yur a filly-fooler?” asked Applebloom, disgustedly. “That’s gross! Nasty even!”

“Watch yur mouth Applebloom!” AJ replied, looking to Granny Smith to see if she would defend her too, but the look she was giving AJ; she was most likely thinking the same thing. AJ then turned to Big Mac who as always was expressionless and probably trying to stay out of the conversation. She turned back to Granny Smith. “I’m seeing a mare. Been doing so fer a month now and we've even gone on four dates together. And I’m really likin’ on her.”

“Four dates? That’s more than three… so does that mean that you and her…?” Applebloom asked but AJ ignored the question. The answer was no, but not answering made Applebloom think it was yes. Granny Smith thought so too.

“S’that rainbow maned one ain’t it? Ah can see how she’s been ‘round you and ‘round everypony else fur that matter.”

Wow… another pony assuming ‘AppleDash’… “No, it ain’t her Granny. It’s Fluttershy. My friend, the yellow pegasus.”

“Fluttershy’s a filly-fooler too? But she always seemed so… nice…” Applebloom said.

“Now what’s that gotta do with her being nice or not?”

“Filly-foolers are evil! It’s like a scientifical fact or something! I don’t think yur really a filly-fooler, yur not evil… most the times anyway. You should be 'shamed. How am I ganna show my face ‘round school if Diamond Tiara or Silverspoon, or anypony fer that matter find out ‘bout this?! Ya ever think what ya doing ta us?”

“That’s enough outta you Applebloom! What ah’m doing is nothin’ to be ashamed of. And ah ain’t doing anything to you!” AJ exclaimed, thinking ‘What about what you’re doing ta me right now?’

“Ain’t nothing ta be proud of neither.” added Granny Smith. Applejack wouldn’t admit it before, but maybe it wasn’t. “Ever since we got a black princess we been getting all these gay rights and socialised hoof-care!”

Double wow… AJ had scolded herself for thinking about her family stereotypically and then her granny pulls the black princess card. There was no chance anymore that Granny Smith had just not understood it because of the sudden revolution that her gran-daughter was gay. No, now it was clear she was fully against it. “Ah… ah… may ah be excused.” AJ said as she got up and started to leave the room.

“My day we didn’t have none of this fuss of mares being with mares. It where a stallion with a mare and nothing else…“ Granny sniped as AJ walked away. Biggest wow… not a minute or two ago, Granny Smith had been complaining about how she had so few options with dating and how AJ was lucky to have so many to choose from. The irony hurt and she derived no humour from it.

Author's Note:

Yes Applebloom is actually Applejack's daughter in this story. Deal with it.
It's not a plot point in anyway though. And no, Big Mac is not the father...
She still refers to her as sister though. like the description says this is a 'deleted' flashback form a much bigger story. Consider it a trope. there will be a few but that's the biggest.

Comments

[OmniFox]

A what princess?

[One Big Macintosh]

seariously? a black princess? XD JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA ooooo granny Smith you little racist old hag jajajajaja

[Ocelot8]

“Ever since we got a black princess we been getting all these gay rights and socialised hoof-care!”

Laughed so hard on this one.