//------------------------------// // Honesty // Story: Parent Trap // by PhantomBulwark //------------------------------// Whatever Applejack said to Vignette appeared to have cowed her into silence. She gave a pseudo apology to Fluttershy, Dash, and Pinkie before slinking off to her tent to continue her self-imposed time out. As Twilight and Sunset finally returned, looking somewhat disheveled, AJ walked out to meet them. “You’re my friend Twilight… No, you’re my family. I-” “I’m so so so sorry,” she blurted. “I’m the one who owes you an apology sugar cube. All you did was set her straight. I reckon I owe ya’ll an apology too,” she turned to the trio with a grimace. “I been lettin’ that girl get by with an awful lot but I knew she was gonna act ugly to ya’ and I shoulda shut it down before she even got started. I’m sorry.” “We’re sorry too AJ,” said Dash softly, “but I think I have to put my foot down.” The whole group seemed to fall silent, the hurt in Dash’s voice made the air feel suffocating. “You’re my best friend. You and I get each other. I’m too loud and you’re too stubborn, and we make an awesome team but… We’re having a baby… that's a whole-ass kid, you know? And I don’t want them to feel like we did, like we all did at one point or another. I don’t want them to have to worry about people being cruel or not understanding. I don’t want my family around a person like Vignette, and frankly? Neither should you.” Applejack’s mouth opened and closed as if she hoped that the words would form on their own. “I-I don’t…” Her eyes darted toward their tent and then back to her friends. Fluttershy and Pinkie were wrapped in one another, both were crying. Twilight and Sunset looked like they’d both taken a bite from something sour and couldn’t spit it out. They’re swallowing their tongues AJ, she thought to herself, her throat achingly tight. Every one of them is keeping it inside because when they tried to warn you you didn’t listen. “I’ll talk to her,” she promised, “I’ll uh, I’ll set her straight.” “You and I both know she isn’t going to change AJ.” Dash sighed, “I’m sorry.” She pulled AJ into a firm hug before turning and pulling both her girls close and leading the way to their own tent. Applejack was very quiet for a long time, staring after her friends with a blank expression. She glanced at the others and away several times before settling on her sons who were standing near the edge of the water. The twins looked at her with soft expressions and then turned away guiltily. “You all feel like this, don’t you?” “We’d never abandon you sis,” Applebloom said gently, “but she ain’t good for you.” “Eeeyup, she’s hateful.” Sugar Belle squirmed, “I don’t like her much either.” “I hate her." Said Twilight coolly. When AJ flinched she frowned. "I mean, she did imply that Autistic people shouldn’t have children… to me, an autistic person, to my face so... not okay.” “I’ve only just recently met her,” Sunset began carefully. “But if everyone in your life dislikes a person you’re seeing… it might be because of how that person is treating you, and by extension, us.” Applejack nodded slowly, “I have some things to think about,” she turned and made her way toward the beach. When AJ did not return and the sun began to set, Sunset, for reasons not related to her name, was elected to go out and search for her. She found her not all that far from the campsite, slumped against a large log on the lakeside. She held her signature hat in her hands and was staring into the inside of it like it would tell her the secrets of life. “Howdy, Sunset.” She greeted, not looking up. “Come to fetch me now it’s gettin’ dark?” “That was the plan yeah.” Sunset thudded down next to her, “but you look like you could use someone to talk to more than you need a guide back to camp.” She snorted and looked up for a second before looking back down into the hat. “You know I’ve had this hat for years, and I don’t think I’ve ever told you where I got it.” “Rarity once mentioned it was your dad’s, right?” “It was. Look here,” she pointed to the inside and Sunset leaned close to see in the dimming light. “That’s my Ma and Pa’s initials. When he gave me that hat I was only twelve. I had come home from school that day and told him I met the person I was gonna marry one day. He sat me down and showed me there where he wrote their initials in it. He said to give it a couple more years and when I was sure, really, truly, sure that I should write our initials in it too. He said that if I did that, I would always be able to take it off and remind myself of what really matters.” “Ok?” Applejack laughed swiping a few tears away, and then she gently turned the hat a bit so that the light hit another set of initials. “I’ve been sitting here for hours, wondering what my parents would say, what wisdom they’d offer… And now here it is. I know exactly what I need to do… I just don’t know if I have the courage. For the first time I can ever remember, I’ve dug a hole so deep I don’t know how to get out.” “Then it’s a good thing you’re family is here with a ladder. You don’t have to do this alone AJ.” She sniffed, “we’re about to lose the farm Sunny. I’m in debt up to my eyeballs and Vignette has been conning me into talking to a winery that are looking to buy us out. If I don’t find a way to boost our sales we’re gonna be stuck on a sinking ship. I made her our sales manager and she runs all our social media! What am I gonna do?” “You ask for help AJ. That’s all you’ve ever had to do.” “Just like that huh?” “Just like that.”