Sunsets
By Garland Gala
The green fields of Apple Acres appeared as orange as an autumn morning as they caught the last rays of the setting sun. The trees were almost barren of apples, adding to the illusion. Much of the week had been spent gathering them in preparation for this very day, and the literal fruits of that labor had been well savored in all manner of splendid dishes that neither Applejack nor Braeburn cared to even think about anymore. Their stomachs were full to bursting as they stood gazing at the beautiful view of the landscape together from atop a particularly high hill, their silhouettes nearly identical in the golden light.
It was one of those magic moments when complete silence might should been enough. Then again, nopony had ever accused either of them of being the quiet type.
“Shoo-whee!” Applejack exclaimed, in something of a mix between jubilation and complaint, “I reckon ah’ ain’t never ate that many apples in a single day before. Mah’ belly looks like a toad’s throat in mid-croak.” She patted her swollen stomach like an expecting mother.
Braeburn chuckled deeply at his cousin's words. “Was real good eatin’ fo sho’. Mayhaps a bit too good. It was a real nice reunion though, cuz... ah’m glad ah’ made it after all.”
Applejack jabbed him lightly on the side. “These here get-togethers are easy on tha’ taste buds and hard on tha’ soul, ain’t they?”
“What d’ya mean by that, cuz?”
“Oh c’mon Braeburn, you don’ hafta keep it to yerself. I saw tha' look on yer face when we was eatin'. Granny Smith is a grand ol’ gal, but she gets a tad awkward with her grandkids sometimes. Everypony knows it.”
Braeburn lowered his head, feeling extremely transparent. It had always been like that with cousin Applejack, no matter how deep he tried to bury his feelings behind jubilation or pure silence. He sighed deeply and thought back to the very moment in question. He at once adored Granny Smith and wanted to be as far away from her as he could after the embarrassment she had just caused him.
He shut his eyes and sighed. “Ah’ know she means well. She’d like to see a great-grandfoal come into this world before she up ‘n leaves it. Thing is, ah’ just don’t have an answer fer her.”
Applejack smiled and leaned up against the side of his neck affectionately. “No need ta’, Braeburn. You just wait ‘till you find your own lil’ ‘Missus Right’, y’hear?”
A long, pregnant pause ensued. Applejack relaxed, shut her eyes and enjoyed a familiar shoulder. But for Braeburn, it was a period of painful self-reflection. Yeah, cuz, I hear ya. But d’you hear me ... thats what I wanna know.
“Cuz.” Braeburn said, but his throat caught on the word. He shut his mouth and she thankfully did not respond.
Braeburn continued to watch the horizon grow dimmer and dimmer like sand running through an hourglass. Time was running out for Granny, just as it was running out for everypony in varying degrees. And one day, when Braeburn’s sand was out, he would have to reflect on all the other hourglasses he’d watched go empty along the way. What if Applejack’s went empty first? Would he have told her by then? And what if he did tell her, only to have her grow disgusted and turn away, draining the sand out of their time together ahead of schedule?
But what if they never truly knew one another? What good would that do?
It was hard, but he took a deep breath and whispered it again, louder than before. “Cuz...”
“Yes, Braeburn?” Her voice, as always, arrived at his ears sweeter than honey.
Braeburn swallowed deeply. His eyes remained shut, but his entire vision glowed amber as the sunlight streamed against the lids.
“Ah ... ah’m gay.”
The stallion felt his heart like he’d never felt it before. He swallowed again as if to keep it down where it belonged. There was no response for a time, but Applejack lifted her head from his neck and stared dumbly at his chest.
Braeburn looked away, talking quickly now. “Ah’ couldn’t tell Granny that. But ah’ had to tell somepony. And you, you always been just like a sister ta’ me, Applejack.”
“Yeah ... ah’ wouldn’t tell Granny if I was you.” Applejack spoke slowly and uncertainly. “She’s not gonna be ‘round much longer. You can’t jus’ patch up any problems it might cause, y’know.”
“Ah’ know...”
Applejack seemed to be struggling with a million thoughts. “You sure yer gay, Braeburn?”
“Pretty dang sure, cuz.” For a moment, Braeburn wondered how much longer he’d be able to call her that.
“Well I reckon you’d know.” Applejack smiled awkwardly. “D’ya have a ... a boyfriend, ah s'pose?”
Braeburn shook his head. “Not yet, no. But all ah’ want is ta’ fall in love, cuz. It’s not like ah’m a pervert or nothin’, I swear. It’s just, y’see, when I imagine somepony stealin’ mah heart, it’s a stallion like me.”
Applejack still didn't, couldn't look up. “Ah’ won’t lie to you, Braeburn. The Apple family is real traditional and it ain’t all that easy fer me. But there’s somethin’ ah’m gonna say, and ah’m gonna shoot real straight right now, okay?”
“O-okay ...” Braeburn swallowed.
Finally, the two made eye contact again. There was a tear in Applejack’s eye, but after she batted it out, there were no siblings for it. “Yer family.”
Braeburn smiled, shedding a few tears of his own rather freely. He always had.
Applejack looked away again, lest she break down as well. Her voice was heavy and choked with effort to appear stronger than she really was.
“Ah’ll learn.” She said quickly. “Its not like ah’ even know why it should bother me anyway. Jus’ upbringin’, ah’ reckon. Family is family and we’re gonna be cousins no matter wut ah’ think. Got that?”
“Got it, cuz.”
That was the last exchange of words between the two for the rest of the evening. They hugged each other deeply and spilled what tears they couldn’t hold back, and together watched the sun set on another day ...
And nothing else.