Takes place immediately after "The Cart Before The Ponies". Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack must answer to some very dissatisfied ponies about their behavior in the Applewood Derby. Can they prove they've learned their lesson?
(Takes place immediately after "The Cart Before The Ponies". Proofread by Smity1038 on DeviantArt.)
The Applewood Derby has come and gone, the prizes have been awarded, and for three ponies a very painful lesson has been learned about listening to their young sisters.
However, the aftermath doesn't end with the derby. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack, each find themselves having to answer for their actions to some ponies who aren't too thrilled with the way they behaved before and during the derby.
For Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo's mother has been cautious about her daughter's idol worship of Rainbow Dash, and now she has doubts about whether Rainbow Dash is a good role model. Rainbow will have to prove she can be trusted, if she doesn't want to lose her big sister status.
For Rarity, an unexpected visit from her parents causes her to once again relive what she viewed as her greatest failure. And now her parents are worried about the example she's setting for Sweetie Belle. It'll take all of Rarity's efforts to show she can be a positive influence for her sister.
And for Applejack, Big Macintosh has been concerned about her clinging to old traditions and routinely ignoring Apple Bloom, while also trying to protect her. Reluctantly, he decides to try and talk some sense into his sister, re-opening old wounds in the process. But Applejack will have to learn to let go of the past.
"Come on, Rainbow Dash! Mom wants me home by sundown, and you know how much she worries about me." Scootaloo called to her honorary big sister, as she trotted along the road leading to the outskirts of Ponyville, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the recently wrapped up derby.
"I'm coming, squirt. Hold your horseshoes!" Rainbow Dash called, following close behind her number one fan. But although she was going to great lengths to hide it, the pegasus mare with a coat of cyan was dreading the walk to Scootaloo's house. For she knew there was a pony waiting for her there that would not be very pleased by what'd she seen. Scootaloo's mother, Dizzy Twister.
Rainbow Dash tried not to gulp, as she was already recalling how Dizzy Twister had approached her after the first derby had ended. All she had told Rainbow Dash at that point was "You and I will need to have a talk when you bring Scootaloo home. You have a lot to answer for.", before she had left to talk to her daughter.
"Man, I really messed up big time," Rainbow Dash thought to herself, shuddering at the thought of the stern lecture she was sure to be on the receiving end of. "Now her mom is super peeved with me, and who could blame her?"
"Rainbow Dash, are you coming or what?!" Scootaloo called, snapping the older mare out of her train of thought. "It's nearly sundown and If I'm not back home by then, Mom's sure to start panicking. I just wish she'd let her mane down a little, it's not like I can't take care of myself."
"Your Mom's just trying to make sure she knows where you are, and that you get to bed at a reasonable time," Rainbow Dash replied. "Trust me, it can be pretty hard to find your way around town at night."
Scootaloo shrugged her hooves. "Whatever, I guess it's just a motherly thing for her to worry about me the way she does. I'm just glad she lets me hang out with you all the time."
"Might wanna enjoy it while it still lasts, kid." Rainbow Dash muttered under her breath.
"What was that, Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked, stopping right in her tracks. "You were talking to yourself, but I couldn't make out what you were saying."
Rainbow Dash immediately said in response. "Oh, it's nothing. Just boring grown-up stuff like whether I left the stove on or not."
Suspecting nothing, Scootaloo smiled as she resumed her forward pace and said to Rainbow Dash. "Well, worry about that later. Right now, I just want to get home before sunset." And for the rest of the homeward journey, Rainbow Dash said nothing more. She just allowed for Scootaloo to lead her along the path.
"Alright, we made it!" Scootaloo said at last, as her home came into view. It was a moderate two story house that you usually saw in Ponyville, with the only distinguishing feature being the Cloudsdale like pillars in the front.
And standing right at the front door, was a pegasus mare who was instantly recognizable to Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. Her amber coat, pink mane and tail (with a pale raspberry section in her tail), and rose colored eyes were unmistakeable, as was her cutie mark of three tornadoes. It was Scootaloo's mother, Dizzy Twister.
"Hi, Mom!" Scootaloo greeted, instantly running up to Dizzy Twister and giving her a hug.
Dizzy Twister returned the embrace whole heartedly. "Hello, Scootaloo," she greeted in a warm and motherly tone. "So how was your second derby? I'm sorry I couldn't stick around to see the whole thing, but I had some unfinished spring cleaning that I wanted to finish before you came home. Did you win any ribbons?"
Scootaloo eagerly nodded, as she ended the hug and dug into her saddlebag. With great fanfare, she presented a blueish-green colored ribbon with a tail of alternating black and yellow in a series of waves, and a silver circle with a white number 1 displayed in it. "This is the ribbon for 'Most Creative'!" she boasted, eagerly buzzing her wings in excitement. "Miss Cheerilee said she'd never see a bird based cart that looked so good! Apple Bloom won 'Fastest Cart', and Sweetie Belle easily won 'Most Traditional'. I had some tough competition for 'Most Creative' though."
Dizzy Twister beamed a bright smile. "I've very proud of you, Scootaloo. You earned that ribbon!"
"Thanks, Mom. I can't wait to show this to Dad when he gets home!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"I think he'll be just as proud as I am, Scootaloo," Dizzy Twister nodded, then she turned her attention to Rainbow Dash. She eyed the now official Wonderbolt for a moment, easily noticing the anxious look on her face. Then she looked at her daughter and instructed in a serious tone of voice. "Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash and I have something that we need to discuss, alone. So would you mind heading inside for a bit?"
"Is Rainbow Dash in trouble?!" Scootaloo immediately asked.
Dizzy Twister tried her best to maintain a straight face. "That depends. But it's something for only us grown-ups to discuss. Do you understand?"
Scootaloo was going to speak up and say something, but Rainbow Dash silenced her. "When your mom wants to discuss things in private with you, I don't try to butt in. Just do as your mother says, okay? It won't take long, I promise."
"Alright," Scootaloo said, sighing in defeat. But just before she headed inside she said to her mom. "Please don't be too hard on Rainbow Dash, it was an honest mistake."
As soon as Dizzy Twister and Rainbow Dash were alone, an uncomfortable silence filled the air. For a moment or two neither mare dared to say a word, they just seemed content to stare each down, as if waiting for the other one to speak up first.
At last it was Rainbow Dash who broke the silence. "I know you're mad at me, Dizzy, and you have every right to be. I messed up, I admit it." she quickly spat out.
"I know you're sorry, Rainbow Dash," Dizzy Twister replied, still trying to maintain a straight face. "And I'm not really mad at you. But I am disappointed. Scootaloo practically idolizes you, and yet you betrayed that trust and worship, and almost ruined the derby for her and the other racers. Heck, you're lucky nopony got hurt in that collision, though I do wonder who's bright idea it was to have that many intersections on one race track."
"Yeah, I was thinking that too. It wasn't me though, that's for sure," Rainbow Dash nervously laughed, before she quickly changed the subject. "It was wrong of me to try and ram those other carts, just so I could win. I guess I just kind of got caught up in the moment, and all I could think about was winning the race."
"Scootaloo told me in no unclear details about how you even tried to push your cart across the finish line after the collision," Dizzy Twister scolded. "What if Scootaloo had been hurt, or worse?! Would you still have cared solely about winning that derby?!"
Rainbow Dash gulped. "I'd... rather not think about that possibility. I'm just glad it didn't happen. If Scootaloo got hurt because of me, I don't know if I'd ever forgive myself." she confessed.
"Yet in that moment you cared more about the cart then you did her wellbeing," Dizzy Twister frowned. "And of course, you weren't supposed to be the one driving the cart in the first place. You know how these derbies work, the younger ponies are the drivers, not the passengers!"
"I've actually been wondering why Cheerilee didn't try to report that to somepony. But I wasn't sure if Scootaloo would be comfortable at the wheel with all of the stuff I added to the cart," Rainbow Dash confessed. "I thought she might press the wrong button in a panic, and make us speed out of control. Otherwise, I would've asked her if she wanted to be the driver or the passenger."
"That's not the only thing you should've asked," Dizzy Twister added. "I know that Scootaloo never told you about her desires to win 'Most Creative' instead of 'Fastest Cart' and she definitely should've spoken up sooner about that. But you still should've asked her what she wanted while you were working on the first cart. Especially after she started trying to add all those chicken things to it."
"You're right, I should've asked her. I'm still kicking myself for not doing so," Rainbow Dash replied. "But I don't think a chicken themed cart would've helped her win 'Most Creative', it probably would've made her the laughing stock of the race track. But maybe we could've worked out a compromise of some sort, those wings actually suited the first cart pretty well."
"I've been meaning to ask Scootaloo about the whole chicken thing myself," Dizzy Twister commented to Rainbow Dash, all the while putting a hoof to her muzzle. "I find it odd that she used to hate being called 'chicken', or 'dodo', or any other nickname based on a flightless bird, yet she wanted to go ahead and build a chicken themed race cart. Her falcon themed cart looked much better."
"It helps that it matched her coat pretty well. And I'm glad she gave me a second chance after how horribly I messed up during the first derby," Rainbow Dash said to Dizzy Twister, as a small smile formed on her face. "But you saw it yourself, Cheerilee agreed to hold the derby again and this time all the grown-ups were left on the sidelines. I get the feeling that rule is going to be a permanent addition in every Applewood Derby from now on."
"Cheerilee definitely deserves praise for hosting that second derby, and arranging for a fresh supply of applewood so everypony who wanted a do-over on their cart could have one," Dizzy Twister nodded in agreement. "But what if she hadn't? How do you think Scootaloo and the other racers would've felt if you had cost them all the chance of enjoying the derby?"
Rainbow Dash immediately sighed, as a look of guilt came into her eyes. "Once again, I'd rather not have to think about that. Probably because I don't want to believe I could mess up the way I did. And yet, I did, and it nearly cost me something I held dearly."
"And what would that be?" Dizzy Twister asked, with a look that implied she already knew what Rainbow Dash was going to say next.
"My bond with Scootaloo," Rainbow Dash answered. "I was an only child growing up, so I never had any older or younger siblings to look up to or take care of. As a kid I was thrilled, that meant I got all the love and affection from my parents, but as an adult I can't help but feel like I missed out on something since so many of my other friends had siblings. It wasn't until I started hanging out with Scootaloo that I realized just how much I appreciated having somepony who looked up to me. It certainly helped that I found out you were her mother, after high school I thought we'd never see each other again."
Dizzy Twister fondly smiled. "So did I," then she began to reminisce. "We sure got into our fair share of trouble when we were growing up. I still remember the time I snuck out of my house so I could join you in toilet papering a few houses, being grounded for weeks sure took the fun out of that."
"You got off easy, I didn't think my parents would ever let me see the light of day when they caught me," Rainbow Dash recalled, chuckling quite a bit, then her happy mood faded. "But it seems you took the lesson to heart, whereas I ignored it. Maybe if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have messed up so badly today. I'll understand if you don't want me to be around Scootaloo anymore. After the way I acted today, I can't exactly call myself a good role model."
But Dizzy Twister quickly approached Rainbow Dash and put a hoof around her. "Hey, nopony's perfect. Trust me, even as a mother I've made mistakes," she said honestly. "It'd be wrong of me to expect you to be perfect, and thankfully that's not what I expect. Even though you've given me cause for concern lately, I'm not about to tell you to stop hanging out with Scootaloo. I can tell that you've learned your lesson, and I trust you won't make the same mistake again. You and Scootaloo can still be sisters."
"YES!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, shooting into the air. "Oh, you've made my day, Dizzy!"
"But I am going to start keeping a closer eye on the two of you," Dizzy Twister interrupted. "And my rules haven't changed. I still want her home by nightfall unless my husband and I won't be home, and I still want her permission before you take her on cloud rides."
"Don't worry, Dizzy, those conditions are fine with me," Rainbow Dash replied. "Thanks for giving me a second chance as well. It really means a lot to me."
Dizzy Twister smiled. "Anything for a good friend. Now, why don't you come inside? I was just about to start dinner."
"Sounds awesome, all that cart building has made me hungry!" Rainbow Dash said, eagerly licking her lips. In her mind, she was breathing a much needed sigh of relief. "I thought for sure I'd lost my big sister privileges! Next time, I'll make sure to listen to Scootaloo, no matter what she has to say."
Rarity couldn't wait to get back to her boutique. Now that the Applewood Derby was over, she was looking forward to a nice hot bath to help her unwind. And goodness knows how much she needed it, the entire derby had been a stressful experience for the fashionista in more ways than one.
"I hope word doesn't get out about the way I acted during the derby," Rarity thought to herself. "I could lose a lot of customers with that kind of bad publicity. To say nothing of what Sweetie Belle's friends will think of me."
But upon entering her boutique, Rarity's hopes for a relaxing bath were quickly dashed. For standing beside her little sister, were a stallion and mare that were instantly recognizable to Rarity. It was her parents, Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles (though Rarity was more fond of their nicknames Magnum and Pearl)! "Mother, Father, what an unexpected surprise," Rarity greeted, a look of shock appearing to briefly cross her face. "I thought you were on vacation?"
"Oh we were, but when we heard about the Applewood Derby, we decided to come home early," Hondo replied with a cheerful smile. "Unfortunately, our carriage was delayed, and we missed the whole thing."
Rarity was about to let out a sigh of relief, before a stern glare from Cookie silenced her. "However, Sweetie Belle here told us all about what went down at the derby."
"Sorry, sis. They asked for the whole story." Sweetie Belle sheepishly confessed.
"It's alright, Sweetie Belle. Mother and Father probably would've found out the truth eventually," Rarity reluctantly replied to her sister. "I wouldn't expect you to lie for me. You did the right thing."
"I guess so, but I didn't mean for you to get into more trouble," Sweetie apologized. "I just want to say I'm sorry for however Mom and Dad decide to punish you."
"Your concern is greatly appreciated, but whatever fate awaits me is a result of my behavior. You needn't worry yourself about it," Rarity said to Sweetie Belle in a gentle tone. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I believe Mother and Father would appreciate it if you made yourself scarce."
"Your sister is right, Sweetie Belle," Cookie agreed. "The grown-ups are going to be talking, and we'd like some privacy. Just go upstairs and occupy yourself for a while. Okay?"
"Okay." Sweetie Belle reluctantly replied, and made her way up to the guest bedroom she frequently occupied when staying the night.
Now, Rarity and her parents were alone on the ground floor of Carousel Boutique, which was still currently closed (much to Rarity's relief). Clearing her throat, the fashionista turned to her parents and asked them. "Shall we adjourn to the kitchen for our discussion? I'd be happy to cook something for the both of you, or even just put on a spot of tea."
"Thanks for the offer, Rarity, but your mother and I already had lunch." Hondo replied.
"But if you feel more comfortable in the kitchen, we'll gladly hold our discussion there," Cookie offered. "I know you and Sweetie Belle already sorted things out a little, but there's still some stuff we need to talk about. Especially concerning how your behavior affects Sweetie Belle."
Rarity's face immediately adopted a rather telling frown. "If you're going to yak my ear off about my behavior, just go right ahead and get it over with. I know my behavior was bad, and there's nothing I could say or do to justify it," she instantly told her parents. "But you should know that Cheerilee agreed to hold the derby again, and Sweetie Belle and I worked together that time around to design the cart she wanted. In fact, it even won 'Most Traditional', despite placing third to last overall." (Rarity decided to leave out the fact that this was because two of the carts had suffered a breakdown mid race.)
"We're well aware of that fact, Rarity. But there's still the issue of your behavior before and during the first derby," Hondo said seriously, "Especially the fact that you took control of the cart, even though the rules state the younger pony is supposed to be the driver."
"I didn't forget that rule, I was well aware of it," Rarity confessed. "But I wasn't sure if Sweetie Belle would be able to touch the pedals of the swan cart with her hooves, since it wasn't your usual sized cart. And we all know what happened when I tried to steer a derby cart with my magic."
"You certainly gave your old stallion quite the scare." Hondo replied, remembering the frightening experience from the first time Rarity had entered the Applewood Derby.
"As a matter of fact, Sweetie Belle tells us you initially agreed to help her with her cart, solely so you could make up for the fact that you didn't win 'Most Creative' with your own cart as a filly," Cookie said with a glare. "What were you thinking?!"
"We are very disappointed in you for that, Rarity!" Hondo scolded. "Haven't we taught you not to live your dreams through other ponies?!"
Rarity hung her head in shame, as she reluctantly responded with. "I just didn't want Sweetie Belle to suffer the same disappointment that I suffered. Anypony could win 'Most Traditional', it's 'Most Creative' that really makes the derby so unique. It's a chance for ponies to show off their artistic visions, and maybe even change the world as we know it! On top of that, Sweetie Belle went along with helping me when we designed the swan cart, and not a lot of her additions would've helped it win 'Most Traditional'. To say nothing of how those ribbons she attached would've made driving and entering and exiting the vehicle more difficult."
"Sweetie Belle definitely could've tried to communicate more clearly and more frequently about what she wanted, and could've even tried to tell Cheerilee. And you're right about the additions she was making to your cart. If she didn't like the cart as it was, she could've easily chosen to sit out the race, or swap with somepony else," Hondo agreed. "But that doesn't mean your refusal to listen to what she wanted, or your taking over the building and racing was acceptable!"
"Do you remember that year when you built your very own cart for the derby, and took second place to that cross eyed filly?" Cookie asked Rarity, to which the unicorn with a pristine white coat nodded ever so slowly. "Do you remember what it is that we told you when you brought home that second place ribbon?"
"You told me, that sometimes we learn just as much from our failures as we do our victories," Rarity remembered, and then realization struck her hard. "And as I told Sweetie Belle, I learned a lesson about understanding what your audience wants. I just didn't understand that bigger and bolder isn't always the way to go, sometimes it's the simple approach that works the most effective. Besides, whoever says a traditional cart has to look drab? There can be plenty of glamorous old style carts out there."
"We're glad you still remember that memory, but we also told you that second place is nothing to be ashamed of, especially when you work so hard on something," Cookie told Rarity. "That second place ribbon proved that your cart had a great design, and it didn't mean that your cart wasn't creative. It just meant that the judges felt somepony else's cart was a little more creative."
"But it wasn't just the fact that you tried to make up for your so called 'failure' that we're not pleased with your behavior, Rarity," Hondo said with a stern glare. "I suppose you'd like to explain why you thought it was a good idea to use your cart's swan wings to block the other racers? You know that's cheating!"
"You're supposed to be a role model for Sweetie Belle, and you're supposed to try and set a good example for her," Cookie added. "You proved that when you rightfully scolded her for the Gabby Gums incident, and emphasized how much she didn't like when you snooped through her saddlebag without permission. And yet, you were perfectly willing to cheat in that race, knowing full well that your little sister was with you the entire time you were doing it! Not to mention the fact that you were more worried about your ruined cart than your sister's wellbeing, even though she could've gotten hurt!"
"Definitely not my finest moment," Rarity agreed. "I know I can't possibly defend my behavior in that moment, and I'm very much ashamed that is so. I am relieved that Sweetie Belle wasn't hurt though, and I have to wonder who thought it was a good idea to design a race track with so many cross-roads? I don't seem to recall the derby having so many when I was a filly, but then again I only raced once or twice, and things have changed a lot since then."
"You're definitely lucky Cheerilee didn't have Sweetie Belle disqualified because of your cheating, and that she agreed to hold the race again," Hondo said seriously. "I think what surprises me most though, is that you somehow thought cheating was okay, even though you were once on the receiving end of it."
Rarity went from feeling guilty, to feeling confused. And her face changed expression to reflect such a turn of emotions. "What exactly are you referring to?" she asked her father.
"Remember when you told us about fashion week in Manehattan?" Hondo replied.
"Yes, that was when I first met Coco Pommel, my newest business partner," Rarity recalled. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Do you remember how you told us about Suri Polomare? And how, after you gave her some of your one of a kind fabric, she went and used it to steal your planned line of fashion?" Hondo asked, explaining himself in greater detail.
Rarity sighed, and went back to frowning. "Oh, how could I ever forget that?! And to think we were friends back when she lived in Ponyville! What's even worse is that she didn't even do any of it herself, she had poor Coco do it all for her, then she took all of the credit! And to top it off, she nearly tricked me into walking away from my well earned victory. If it weren't for Coco, I would've had to stay in Manehattan for who knows how long? That Suri is such a.... well I shouldn't even say the word!" she remarked.
"Exactly! So after Suri almost got away with cheating, on top of everything else she did to you, why did you think it was suddenly okay to turn around and do it the other derby racers?" Cookie asked her daughter.
Rarity paused, and pondered the question for several minutes. But then she reluctantly responded. "I wish I had an answer, but I don't. I know nothing I say or do can justify such a harsh mistake, and I can't believe I ever thought it was acceptable," then she asked. "Do you think Sweetie Belle's going to start doing it now? I didn't exactly set the best example for her, and I still haven't told her about Suri."
"Hopefully, she won't try to do so. But just to be on the safe side, your father and I are going to have a talk with Sweetie about cheating," Cookie told Rarity. "And that, just because somepony else does it, doesn't automatically make it okay."
"You'll probably make a stronger argument than I could ever present," Rarity reluctantly acknowledged. "I really don't want to become one of those 'Do as I say, not as I do' kind of ponies. And I'll understand if you want to start bringing Sweetie Belle with you on your numerous vacations from now on. As her big sister, I should've done a better job of listening to her, and should've tried to set a more positive example. I'm glad we got to work out our differences and start again, but I know that doesn't completely make up for my actions before and during the first derby."
But to Rarity's surprise, Hondo immediately said in response. "Rarity, you've been pretty good about setting a good example for your little sister for years. This is the first time you've truly slipped up to the point where your mother and I noticed."
"As long as you make sure this doesn't happen again, we're still going to trust you to look after Sweetie Belle whenever we go away," Cookie added. "If anything, this derby incident should serve as a wake up call for us to spend more time with her, instead of constantly leaving her in your care. We are her parents, and we need to start acting like them more often than we have."
"Just do yourself a favor, Mother, and take some cooking lessons yourself," Rarity suggested. "Sweetie Belle's constantly coming over here to have breakfast, because you burn it all the time. It's not healthy for her to be eating so much sugary cereals."
"Don't worry, Rarity," Hondo reassured his eldest daughter. "Signing up for cooking lessons is most definitely high on your mother's to do list. Even I've started to grow tired of burnt food all the time."
"Hey, my cooking isn't that bad!" Cookie protested, before she, her husband, and her eldest daughter all began to laugh.
"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."
