//------------------------------//
// Maybe We Should've Let That Be A Surprise 
// Story: My Little Space Empire: Mechs are Magic 
// by Wheezyandbreezy 
//------------------------------//

Twilight had regretted telling the ag worlder their destination the second she'd done so, as she never shut up about the place for the rest of the three week voyage. Applejack would spend all her waking moments talking everyone's ear off with facts about her homeworld, her family, or most draining of all, apples. Twilight had written books about agriculture before, but Applejack could've taught a university biology course on the subject. She knew the best soil conditions under which to grow every sort of apple, the best recipes for each type, the way to tell ripeness without touching it, and a host of other facts no one but Fluttershy could even pretend for the sake of politeness to give one single fuck about.

That's not why it bothered Twilight though. She herself was an endless font of trivia, and could literally fill a human lifetime with details they would never once in that lifetime use. No, the unending apple flavored ramble bothered Twilight because it was a lie, a ruse, a smoke screen. Applejack was excited to go home, but only on the surface. In her heart it came to her like a death sentence. She hadn't been home in five whole years, and she was nervous beyond all rational thought about how they'd receive her at home. 

She'd written letters, physical letters, and had them sent to her home address, but getting one slip of paper from one side of the galaxy to the other was a Herculean task in and of itself. Not to mention getting a reply. It happened entirely more often that her family's responses were simply discarded rather than being shepherded successfully across hundreds of thousands of light-years. 

Twilight finally managed to ebb the tide of apple lore three days before reaching the planet during an especially dry ramble about the proper balance between cinnamon and sugar in apple pies. She stared hard at Applejack, who simply beamed in response. She adjusted her seat and locked eyes with the ag world chatterbox. Pinkie rose up slowly to try and join in on what she thought was an impromptu staring contest, but Twilight gently levitated her out of the room. "Applejack. You know you can't lie to me."

Contrary to Twilight's expectations Applejack didn't look away. "Ah know." Was all she said.

Twilight's eyebrow rose, but she didn't look away. "No, I mean I know what you really feel about going home."

Once again Applejack didn't look away. "Yeah. Ah. Know."

Twilight lost the staring contest by rolling her eyes. "Applejack they're your family, and if the history I've seen in your mind is anything resembling accurate they're going to welcome you with open arms and do their damnedest to keep you from leaving."

Applejack rolled her eyes as well. "Yes little miss psychic, we're all terribly impressed with the trick you've been showin non-stop for the last eight months. Ah know y'all can read mah mahnd. What's. Yer. Point?"

Twilight almost glared. She was trying to help Applejack, and she wasn't being very cooperative. She sent images of Applejack on the verge of tears with dread into her mind. Applejack clenched a fist, but didn't strike. She spoke through gritted teeth. "Yes. Twahlaght. I. Know. Ah'm. Worried. Thank. Y'all. Fer. Makin. Fun. A. Me. Fer. It."

Twilight dropped the images and her eyes went wide. She grasped Applejack's hands in pleading apology. "What?! No! No no no no no! Applejack I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that!" She sighed heavily and looked apologetically at her friend. "I just saw you were scared and I thought you were trying to cope by thinking about all the good things about your planet."

Applejack shouted in annoyance. "Yes. Twilight. Ah know y'all can read minds. We're all up to speed on that little trick of y'all's. Hey did ya know that Dulcean Plain Terrors shit in the thickets too?"

Twilight's eyebrow rose ever so slightly. "Well yes they use it to wipe, but what does that have to do with.~"

"Twi Ah am fine!" Applejack said in an irritated voice. She sighed. "Twi, Ah ain't been home in fahve years. Ah ain't even heard word from em since last year." Her mood fell even lower. "Ah ain't worried about whether or not they'll still love me. That ain't it. It's just. . . " She stared hard at her mech, its new coat of paint gleaming in the L.E.D. lights of the cargo bay. "I was only s'posed to be gone for three weeks Twi, n that was a long time to be away then. N in fahve years I never could break away long enough to go all the way to the atter rim and back. . . Much less scrape together the money to hitch a single ride from round abouts Terra and back. Ah dunno if there's even anyone ta go back to. They coulda got swept up in a slaver raid, or starved from a bad harvest, or. . ." She for the very first time in her life thought about just how vulnerable their position on their orchard was. "Or any other bullshit that happens in the atter rim." A tear started to form in her eye. "N ah don't think mah heart could take that Twi. Ah don't think Ah could see the orchard any other way then just how ah left it without doin somethin foolish. . ." 

Twilight gently embraced Applejack. "I know Applejack. I know. That's why we're doing all this. So that an orchard farmer can feel safe going from one side of the galaxy to the other." A small smile came to her face. "And hey, if they've got even half the fight in them that you've got in you then they'll be fine." She grinned at Applejack. "Come on, who brings a shotgun with them on the way to the out house?" Applejack smiled. "Huh! COME ON! THEY'RE GONNA BE FINE!" Applejack began a deep belly laugh and Twilight shook her gently. "Now come on A.J., stop talking all our ears off about pie and let's get ready to hunt some pirates!"

Applejack frowned. "Well excuse may. Ah thought we was havin a pleasant discussion."