Dear Ma and Pa,
Celestia says that if Ah talk, y'all can hear me. Now, I don't know if that's true or not, but Ah hope you can hear this and send me an answer. ...Somehow... An' even if this is just me talkin', it'll still do me good. Cause... Ah got some things Ah need tah say...
The Apple Family is one of the oldest in this town. Granny and Grampy Smith helped make the laws of this town, way long ago. You and Granny remember how the town was back then? When it was smaller and safer. Things didn't change, because things didn't need to. Everything just... worked...
But now, everypony is making a huge fuss about the laws that have worked all these years. It is our traditions, our way of life to have the mare represent her family! That’s just how it’s always been. But now these hooligans are attemptin' to change it with nuthin' more than a few loud words!
How many more changes are tah follow, Ma? What will they come after next? What if some smooth talker decides we got too much land? What if they decide we’re not allowed ta sell our apples anymore? Things ain’t broke, so why do they need ta be fixed?
And Pa... Ah need guidance, Pa. You wer' always there when Ah needed' ya, and Ah need ya now. How do I stop this? Big Mac ain’t there for me. He ain’t talkin to me. He just... he just does his work, real quiet... I mean... quieter than usual. An’ Ah need tah know how to stop this.
...
Should Ah stop this?
Your daughter, Applejack.
---
The day was young. The breeze blew the grass slowly, and the apple trees swayed in the wind, slightly, as if stretching out their limbs, each one in order. An occasional over-ripe apple tumbled from the branches, but in general the tree simply swayed and never shook.
Applejack watched the trees move, that morning. Yesterday had been hard, and today was not looking easy. It was unusual, then, for Applejack's mind to be on something other than the harvest, other than getting the apples to the market, other than usual life on a farm.
Applejack was lost in thought. The serene scene of sunrise contrasted heavily with the uncertainty in her heart. As she sat in the orchard, watching the trees, her brain was going 100 miles a minute. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice Big Macintosh come up behind her. It was only when he cleared his throat, which was a very loud sound coming from a stallion of his size, that she turned around and noticed him. Big Macintosh wasn’t talking to her. Granted, he usually didn’t say much but... it was different now, and some part of her was deeply happy that he had approached her, instead of the other way around.
"Hey Big Mac. How'd ya sleep?" she said, throwing on a smile and standing up. "Looks like it's turnin' out to be a beautiful day."
Big Macintosh said nothing.
"Well, no use in sittin' around. We got a lotta work ta do. You eat yourself somethin'?"
Applejack stared at the scarlet stallion, hoping for a nod or a shake of his large head. Like a statue, he stood, unmoving save the rise and fall of his broad shoulders. His head was down, his eyes staring at the grass as if he couldn’t bare to face her.
"Mac, we need to get started on the day. Didn't ya hear?" Applejack's tone hardened. "We don't have..."
"Sis, Ah need to talk to ya."
Applejack was silent. Big Macintosh rarely spoke, so when he did, she knew to listen. Even Apple Bloom would halt whatever shenanigans she was up to if her older brother opened his mouth.
"Uhh.. sure, big brother. What do ya' have in mind?" she said uneasily. This better not be about...
"Ah wanna go with ya to the debate tonight," he said bluntly.
Applejack did a double-take. "Wait, what?" She paused a moment. "That's funny, fer a moment there Ah thought ya said ya wanna go see the debate." She chuckled nervously.
The green eyes of the stallion remained on her.
"Well, ther'd be no point. Ah already know who Ah... no, who we're votin' fer, and all the debate would do is muddle the matter with fancy poly-ticks. We need to stick to our guns, Big Mac, like Ma and Pa woulda wanted."
The stallion said nothing. Applejack couldn’t really tell if she was getting through to him or not, but she liked to think she was.
"And besides, you wouldn't be able to see anythin' anyway. We both know that unless a stallion is somepony's campaign manager, they don't let em' in. There'd be no point, seein' as ya don't vote anyway. Big Mac, the answer is no. We have work to do here. We can't just drop everythin' and run off to some town function."
Applejack was smiling as she looked to Big Macintosh, quite happy with the argument she had made. She expected him to turn and get to work, but he remained sitting there. She expected him to admit he was wrong, but his mouth didn’t move. His green eyes were focused on her, and she didn’t like it. Eventually, she broke the silence. "Cmon, Big Mac, let's go get some-"
"Ee-nope."
If Applejack had a drink in her mouth, she would have done a spit-take. "Whaddoya mean, 'no'?" she said, tone rising. "You don't want breakfast?"
"Ee-nope."
"Oh, I get it. You wanna go ta the fancy debate. You wanna stand outside with Carmel and his gang and protest the laws and try an' bamboozle the socks off the townfolk like they do every year. You wanna betray me, Granny, Bloom, Ma and Pa. You wanna betray your family just cause it’s the cool thing to do? Well no deal, Big Macintosh. We have work to do here and you are going to stay and help like the rest of the family."
Big Macintosh looked her square in the eyes, and a tense moment of silence ensued.
"Well, Big Mac? Ya ready to forget this nonsense an' go eat somethin'?"
The large stallion’s head slumped, as did his shoulders.
"Well, Ah'm goin. You wana join me, that's fine," Applejack said, and she began to walk off. When she knew Big MAc wasn't looking, she closed her eyes. Ma, Pa, it's gettin' harder and harder to fight. Please help me.
"Sis," Big Macintosh called after her. She turned around warily.
"Yes, Big brother?"
"Ah'm goin. With or without you." And with that, Big Macintosh turned and galloped off.
---
"...and, after reviewing the evidence, this court finds no need to hold the defendant any longer. Carmel Candy, you are free to go."
The judge rapped her gavel, and the courtroom adjourned. Carmel packed his things and prepared to leave. His movements were almost mechanical. There was no smile like one who had beaten the system, and no frown of one wrongfully accused. Just the slow packing of his things, and an equally mechanical trot out the door.
"Congrats, again," the Doctor smiled, as he and Carmel exited. "You ready for the debate tonight?"
"As ready as I’ll ever be. I fully expect Harvest to have a good showing. It's just a bit sad that we won't be able to see it."
"Ah well, perhaps next election will be different," the Doctor said with a smirk on his face. "Then again, perhaps that is just the dream of two silly colts who never grew up."
Carmel smiled. "You know, your particular brand of sarcasm is what I look forward to every day," he said, equally sarcastically.
They shared a laugh. It was a deep, mirthful laugh, the kind exchanged between old friends.
"So, what do you think of the news I brought?" the Doctor asked.
"Not a chance,” Carmel said a sort of sad acceptance. “No matter what Twilight thinks her friendship is capable of, this is a whole different matter. By the Sun, I wish this could all be fixed with some magic trinket. Besides, one of the ponies she would need to convince is Applejack, and we both know that's not happening."
The Doctor nodded. "So we proceed as planned?"
“We trusted the mayor, and look what happened. I don’t care what Twilight Sparkle says, it’s Carrot Top or nopony. That’s just the way it has to be. It’s great Twilight got Cloudsdale and all, but it means nothing in the long run.”
The Doctor shrugged. “Maybe Twilight is right... If public opinion is truly on our side, the mayor would be forced to..."
Carmel stopped in his tracks, right on the steps of the court house. He closed his eyes. "I can't support the mayor, not after what she pulled." He opened his eyes slowly, and looked at his friend. "That is final. We need to make absolute certain Ms. Mayor Mare is not in that seat come this time next month."
"If that is what you wish," the doctor said, and they continued walking. "You got your pre-debate speech ready?"
"Of course. I was up all night working on it." Carmel smiled. "It will be a speech they won't soon forge-" Carmel stopped once again, this time looking more like a deer caught in headlights.
"Ee-yup," the stallion in front of him said.