//------------------------------// // 76. Disappointment // Story: Azure Edge // by Leaf Blade //------------------------------// Applejack took a deep, steady breath as she looked out the train window and saw the town of Appleloosa, the southernmost village within Equestria’s borders and the ancestral home of the Apple family. On the one hand, being in her family’s home— the place where her ancestors, forebears, and heroes were born, raised, and trained— left Applejack with a heady feeling, an overwhelming sense of pride and honor. On the other hand, she knew she could never live up to the legacy of this place, or to any of the Apples that she idolized. And of course, Applejack could spy among the ponies waiting at the station a wrinkly green mare who would be all too happy to remind Applejack about how she was disgracing the Apple name. “Are you ready?” Pinkie Pie asked, and Applejack smiled, though she felt it was a really silly question. “As I’ll ever be.” As Applejack and honorary Apple Pinkie Pie departed the train and stepped into the dusty, sand swept station of Appleloosa, the smiles on the two waiting ponies were totally priceless. Granny Smith was there, of course, and she looked happier than a worm in an apple convention to see Pinkie Pie, but a bit more hesitant when her gaze fell on Applejack. Big Mac was decidedly less hesitant, and he grabbed Applejack and pulled her into a bonecrushing hug before she was even fully off the train. Instead of complaining, Applejack wrapped her arms around the giant red stallion, who was just a tiny bit smaller and stockier than Applejack herself, and lifted him up off his feet. “Doin’ well for yerself, big guy?” Applejack clapped Big Mac on the shoulders and beamed at him; her little brother who was so much more respectable than she was. “Eeyup,” Big Mac replied with a hearty grin and even heartier slap to Applejack’s shoulder. “Hey, where’s Apple Bloom?” Pinkie Pie asked, and Applejack agreed it was curious that she wasn’t there to greet Applejack and Pinkie Pie alongside the rest of the family. “She’s at home, preparin’ the banquet for y’all,” Granny Smith explained. “She’s a big girl now, she’s old ‘nuff to watch the place by herself, and quite proud of it too!” “Yeah, I bet,” Applejack said fondly. “She’s really growin’ fast, huh? Won’t be much longer ‘fore she’s bigger’n me I bet!” “Yep,” Granny nodded and gave a delighted chuckle. “She’s quite the firebrand already too, just like you when you were that age.” “Heh, wonder what happened to me then?” Applejack scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You gave up,” Granny said coldly, giving Applejack the stank eye with the one good eye she had left. “Decided you’d rather be a quitter than a Slayer.” “Granny,” Big Mac huffed and crossed his arms, glaring at Granny Smith. “It’s alright, Big Mac—” Applejack sighed and waved off her brother’s attempted defenses. “No it isn’t!” Pinkie chimed in, interrupting Applejack with a stomp of her hoof. “Granny, Applejack is not a quitter!” “Not sayin’ it’s a bad thing, Pinkie Pie,” Granny said, “but the truth is what it is. Every able-bodied pony in the Apple family, ever since Celestia founded the Slayers, has been one. And Applejack’s the first one, in our entire family, to quit.” “Better’n dyin’ early,” Applejack spat, “like most of the family.” “If you were so worried about dyin’ early,” Granny shot Applejack a nasty glare, “you should’ve just trained harder!” “Oh, is that your advice?!” Applejack shouted, stomping her hoof. “Don’t you be stompin’ at me, Appleja—” “Enough!” Pinkie screamed, jumping in between the two, as Big Mac stepped back. “Granny, you promised me in your letter that you wouldn’t fight with Applejack, and Applejack, you promised on the train! So no more fighting! Got it?!” Applejack and Granny Smith were silent. Both crossing their arms and refusing to look at the other, or at Pinkie Pie. “Got it?” Pinkie growled. “Yeah, Pinkie,” Applejack sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. I promised.” “Me too, child,” Granny shook her head slowly, “and an Apple doesn’t go back on their word. I’m sorry, Applejack. I was actin’ like a right fool.” “I’m sorry too, Granny,” Applejack said, the words weighing heavily on her heart because why was she having to apologize, again? “So where’s Rarity, anyway?” Granny Smith asked, and Applejack grit her teeth and managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Rarity was always Granny’s favorite, after all. “She’s at the library, I think,” Pinkie said. “One of our friends got sick, and she had to stay behind to take care of her.” “A very important friend, I hope,” Granny said, “if she’s missing out on seein’ her family!” “She is an important friend,” Applejack said sternly. “She’s family too.” “Well,” Granny exhaled sharply and affected a warm smile, “more pie for the rest of us, I suppose!” “Yeah! Pie!” Pinkie cheered. “Big Mac, are you ready for pie!?” “Eeyup!” Big Mac said, pumping his fist. “I’ll race you to the house!” Pinkie beamed, and before saying even another word, both her and Big Mac were rushing into Appleloosa. “I’m sorry about what I said before,” Granny Smith said as she walked slowly alongside Applejack. “I may be disappointed in you, but you’re still family, and this is your home. I don’t wanna make you feel like you ain’t welcome here.” Applejack didn’t reply with anything other than a smile, because it was already a little bit late for that.