//------------------------------// // A Family Affair // Story: AppleShy: The Series // by solsticebrony888 //------------------------------// They reached their first destination, Sugarcube Corner, in almost no time. Besides the occasional pony here and there, they saw no sign of any of their friends and were pretty much alone during the walk, not that they would have noticed anyone else. They didn't do much talking, with the expectation of running to an Apple family member, they had no clue what they would say or do. Then, right on cue, a pink blob plopped right in front of them nearly tripping Applejack, who clumsily jumped to side to prevent herself from falling. Without even giving the startled earth pony a chance to recover, Pinkie Pie darted up with a look of pure joy to see them. "Hiya guys!" She blurted; getting uncomfortably close to their faces "...Or should I say gals? *teehee* it's so Cyuuuuuutttteeee to see you guys with each other, OMIGOSH! How's everything going for you guys? I hope it's super-duper-duper-DUPER great!" The spastic pink pony stretched out her arms, trying to physically show how great she hoped things were going for them. Applejack greeted her with a forced smile, "Oh, well howdy there Pinkie Pie, everythin's going fine between us, uh, thanks for askin'," Pinkie pie frowned with her whole body. "What's wrong Applejack? What you said was happy but your voice was all sad and stuff! Come on, tell Pinkie what the matter is. I have absolutely totally nothing else to do, come on, come on, come on!!" Pinkie Pie pressured, getting increasingly closer to Applejack's face until she forced her to say something to satisfy her insane need to know her business "Pinky ah don't know, um.." Applejack really didn't want to confide inPinky, even though she's the best at keeping secrets. Luckily, a light bulb went off in the earth pony’s head right then. ,"H-have ya seen ma darn hat? Ah think ah lost it on ma way to Fluttershy’s," Applejack wore a nervous smile, knowing her lies were the worst in Equestria. However, Pinkie Pie bit. She expelled a loud gasp startling both of the mares in front of her, "I KNEW there was something different! I was like 'there's something different about Applejack! Is it her mane? Is it her tail? IS IT FLUTTERSHY?’ But now I know!" she giggled loudly while flailing her hooves about. Fluttershy, who's been quiet during this whole conversation, relinquished a giggle at the Pink Pony's randomness. "Alright then, well if anypony sees it, don't hesitate to tell me, ok Pinkie?" After a fit of giggling, Pinky Pie suddenly looked suspiciously at Applejack. The orange pony knew her own element of honesty made it hard for her lies to be passable even if they're for the greater good. However, instead of prodding more until Applejack confessed, Pinky Pie just changed subjects. "Okie Dokie Lokie! How did you like the party I threw ya? I hope it was super great because I tried my best! How was it?" Pinkie asked, once again within inches of Applejack's face. "It was awfully wonderful Pinkie Pie. Couldn't have done better ma'self," The earth pony mused with a gracious smile. "Thank Thank Thank YOU!! Applejack! I'm glad you liked it. I'm also super-duper glad you got along with Lyra and BonBon, THEY'RE SO CUTE TOGETHER OMIGOSH. But not as cute as you and Fluttershy! Hehehe!" Pinkie Pie jumped around erratically, but didn’t surprise the ponies before her in any way. Every impossible thing she did, they just chalked up to Pinkie Pie being….Pinkie Pie. "Well that's awfully nice of ya Pinkie, ya makin' me blush!" Applejack then was just trying to amuse the pink pony until she and Fluttershy could go without seeming so unwilling to talk to her. Her element of honesty would have to sit this one out, she knew how Pinkie Pie gets when she feels somepony doesn’t like her. Applejack didn’t have to wait long, because Pinkie Pie was once again right on cue, "Well I gotta go, like now! because me and Rainbow Dash are doing pranks and stuff!!! Omigosh it’s so fun but I'll try not to get you and definitely not Fluttershy! You're safe because you guys are just adorable. Um, BYE!!!!" The pink pony quickly waved, soon after entering her own world filled with cupcakes and smiles and all sorts of Pinkie Pie stuff as she hopped merrily away. Ah wonder why she didn’t force me to tell her why ah’m sad? Guess ah juss got lucky. She herself didn't know why she didn't want to tell Pinkie anything, but felt relief from it anyway. Realizing Fluttershy has been silent for a while, she turned back to see her mare smiling happily with the earth pony’s hat on her head. "Darlin' h-how…? Where’d ya find it!?" Applejack exclaimed, with an elated smile. "Well you and Pinky were talking so I thought it'd be nice to go get us some apples and um, I saw your brother had it at his stand" The Pegasus said quietly. "Oh…" The earth pony said, saddened at the mention of her older brother,"...Did 'e say anythin' 'bout me?" Applejack lowered her head just at the thought of one of the few Apple-family ponies that haven't deserted her. "Well he um said he was sorry about all of this, and that he um, wanted to talk to you when you're ready," the Pegasus pony said solemnly, mentally bashing herself for using so many 'ums'. Applejack pondered this. She really didn't feel ready. She still felt mad every time she was reminded of it all. But, more-so, she didn't want to wait. She hoped the Apple family felt horrible for this. They got rid of one of their best workers just because she found love with somepony that isn't a colt. She expressed those feelings on her face with a frown. Fluttershy was speaking to a butterfly when Applejack spoke again. "Ya know, ah think ah am ready to talk, but this ain't no negotiation...they ain't gonna change who ah am," said Applejack proudly. The Pegasus nodded. ,"Well I'll stay back that's, um if that's ok...I know they don't want to see me and I don't want to make things worse than I already have..." Applejack expected this and knew what to say. Hvaig become so close with the mare has made her quite predictable for the earth pony. "Shy, if ya don't come along, ghey may think that ah've changed ma mind. Ah want them, and everypony, to know we are together and don’t give a hay that they don’t like it. A-ah'm proud that I'm with you...a-and ah ain't gonna let ma family or anypony change that" Riding on a burst of confidence, Applejack got up close to the yellow Pegasus, moved her pink mane out of her face just to get a little closer to say, "Ah think ya look absolutely adorable in ma hat, Sugarcube" she said in almost a whisper, Fluttershy lowered her head and squeaked out of embarrassment. "Hehe, ah love when you do that lil squeal! It's too darn adorable…But ah reckon it's 'bout time we go see Big Macintosh, before he closes up shop for the evenin'" applejack said, with a nod from Fluttershy. Big Macintosh’s stand was only around the corner and it made their trip a short one. Applejack felt like she needed to get her feelings off her chest and nopony was better to vent to than her own big brother. Applejack felt furious, betrayed and most of all, hurt, though she is too prideful to show it now, especially in front of Fluttershy. She doesn’t get why Ambrosia and Apple Crisp would kick her from the family because she’s with a mare. All it did was hurt the family and herself. Knowing her older brother was on her side made her feel a lot better thought, she’s looked up to him her whole life and it definitely was a confidence booster. The stallion knew they were going come, and was already waiting for them when they were in sight. Big Macintosh wore an emotionless face, if anything he just looked tired. He left his stand to meet them. Applejack spoke first once she approached her brother at his stand, "Why did they react this way, Big Mac...?” "Eethey weren't ready for it, AJ" he said bluntly, in his slow, deep voice, "and I'on know If they ever will be," Applejack shrugged. ,"Ah don't care if they ain't ready, ah juss wish ah could tell em that ah ain' gonna be walking around the farm with Fluttershy bein' all inconsiderate an' such, ah know some ponies ain' used to it yet. ah'd give it time," The colt sighed. He knew his sister was too stubborn to accept what he said on his first try. Applejack never accepted things that seemed wrong to her without making her opinion about them clear. "That ain't gonna change em, Ambrosia and Apple Crisp are as stern as they come. Applejack, ah've seen ya grow since when you were a filly. They did too. And they had your life planned out juss like they had mine, and others. It juss-," He paused to correct himself, "To them it juss ain' right for a mare to be with a mare. They've been raised to know this as fact, Applejack. And Ah'm gonna gamble and say they thought you did too," It wasn’t often that Big Macintosh talked this much to her, It meant a lot to the younger earth pony that he was. But she couldn't accept that just because of one simple choice in her life got her exiled from her family. Her thought always returned the fact that just 2 days ago she was playing with Applebloom in the farm, enjoying her life. Only the family at the farm knew about her and Fluttershy, and everything was perfect in her life. Now all she has is the mare at her side and the hat that she's wearing. "B-but we must- there must be a way to talk to them, convince them even," Applejack said, trying to figure out why someponies would be against her happiness. "Ah'm truly sorry 'bout all this, Applejack..." Big Macintosh said with a saddened expression on his face. "Do you know, who could of told them? Cuz' if ya do, they're in for one rude awakening," The orange pony said defiantly, "Everythin' was how I dreamt it to be...and now someone in ma own family, ma own kin! Ruined everything for me..." Applejack exclaimed, her own heart sinking at the thought of how close she got to her dreams coming true. Fluttershy lowered her head in shame. Whether Applejack would admit it or not, it was her fault for confessing her feelings to the earth pony...in Fluttershy's mind they could of remained friends, and Applejack would have been happy, which in the end is all the she wanted for her. "Look, Applejack. Th' best ah could do for ya is tryn' convince those two that what they're doin' is wrong. But ah can't risk ending up in your situation," Big Mac said in a straight forward tone ,"If ah can do anything 'bout it, ah'll come to y'all first. Ah'm assuming you're going to stay at Fluttershy's for the time bein'" "Yeh, ah guess that the only thing I can look forward to then," Fluttershy squeaked, a few feet behind Applejack. She has tried to be as quiet as she could throughout this conversation, but she felt awful. "Ah hope they know how many of us they hurt with all of this!" she exclaimed in a disgusted tone, throwing her hooves at the ground wildly out of from frustration. Then she composed herself with a deep breath, and went to Fluttershy’s side to comfort her. "It's gonna be alright, Sugarcube. Crisp and Ambrosia simply juss don't know who they messed with" she said firmly. She turned her head back to Big Macintosh. "How's granny Smith and poor ol' Applebloom?" "Ah reckon Granny Smiths alright. She's against what Apple Crisp and Ambrosia are doin', but long since passed the time when she ran the family. My best advice to you little sis, is to juss wait it out, they may come around," Applejack finally took in what her brother said and accepted it, "Thank ya kindly, brother. Ya've calmed my heart down a bunch...juss tell Applebloom I'm staying for a while at Fluttershy's, that's all that poor little filly needs to know right now," "Eeyup" he replied, soon making his way back to his stand, with a few ponies waiting for him to make their purchases. "Come on Fluttershy, it's 'bout time ah get maself settled with you," Applejack said, giving Fluttershy a sincere smile. She wasn't to let her own family's ignorance influence how she acted around Fluttershy. On the way back to the apple stand, Big Macintosh knew he had a lot of thinking to do. Nothing like this had ever happened in his family before, so convincing Ambrosia and Apple Crisp will be a nightmare on uncharted ground.