Weak wings and a useless unicorn.

by Sugar Moon

Chapter fourteen

Applejack stood looking out over her hills, the voice in her head quiet now and her eyes still red from the crying. That little internal argument had opened up some old wounds but as granny said “You gots to bleed a little, to heal a lot”. It wasn’t one of her better saying but in this case it rang true. She had bled, her emotions poured from that dirty scab she had ripped off and now hopefully it could heal clean. It wasn’t a perfect metaphor but life wasn’t perfect, heck, she knew hers wasn’t.

There out on the horizon was a red dot and if her tear blurred eyes didn’t know any better she’d say it was getting closer. Rubbing her eyes and squinting at the distant she started to make it out. It was Big Macintosh and he was in a powerful hurry.

Well, no time like the present I guess.Applejack thought, a little chagrined.

She had been avoiding him and now it was time to apologise for all that, and for her pig-headedness. Big Mac was in love and that was a mighty fine thing. With Twilight, yeah, that could take some getting used to but if they were happy, she was happy. Just had to tell him that.
Applejack started down the hill towards her brother, the grass soft under her hooves as she approached him and that’s when she first saw his face, his eyes gleamed with defiance and determination, something she had never seen there before.

Ah, horseapples. This ain’t gonna end well, is it?

“Hey, Big Mac list-“ She began

“No,” Big Mac cut in, “ this time yer gonna listen, little sis.” His emerald eyes bore into hers.

“I’ve held my tongue too long on this farm.” He stepped closer to her, each word punctuated with him inexorably moving forward. “I mean to have my say and you are just gonna shut up until you hear every Luna-forsaken word of it.”

Without waiting for her mute, nodded response he close the finally inches between and grabbed her in his forehooves and
And hugged her.

“I love you, AJ.” Applejacks mouth dropped open. “ Yer, my little sis and I love you. I would not do anything to hurt you but I have. Somehow me and Miss Twilight getting together has hurt you something awful.” He leaned back from the hug, his hooves resting on her shoulders as he looked at her straight in the eyes. “AJ, do you really think I meant to do that? Do you think I meant to hurt you?”

“No.” Applejack shook her head violently.

“Then why? Is it because she’s your friend? I love her. I love her so much that I feel like I’m gonna burst. She’s the first thing I think in the morning and the last thing at night, I can’t live without her and I can’t take hiding it and feeling ashamed about it in front of my family. Don’t you want me to be happy?”

“A’course Big Mac, it’s just…” she trailed off.

“Just what?”

“I was afraid you were going to hurt her,” Big Mac started to say he wouldn’t, that he could never hurt Twilight when he heard the bare whisper of what Applejack was saying. “like momma got hurt.”
It clicked then, the cold shoulder, the overprotectiveness she felt towards her friends, everything. IT all made sense now.

“I’m not Poppa, Applejack.” He said, quietly.

“I know.”

He sighed. “I’m not going to promise I won’t hurt her, AJ” Applejack gasped a little as he continued. “..the same way she can’t promise she won’t hurt me. We’ll fight at some stage, get angry and even for a moment, we’ll hate each other. But under that, through that, I’m still gonna love her. I’m not going to quit when it gets tough, I want to be there for her. Always”. He lifted his hooves from her shoulders before continuing. “Pops had it tough. He had to see the mare he loved fade away in front of him, the vibrant gal he loved was gone and he couldn’t cope. So he drank himself away. That doesn’t make him a bad pony and it doesn’t make him a weak one neither. He loved her and couldn’t take her being gone. He’s gone. But that doesn’t make him me. Or you. Do you understand?”

Applejack nodded, wiping away a stray tear in her eye.

“Big Mac, I’m sorry. I’ve behaved awful these past few weeks. I just needed some time and a lot of shoutin’ at before I realised. Can you ever forgive me?”

“Eeyup.” Was all he needed to say as she flung her hooves around him and tightened them in a hug.

“Back to just one word sentences again eh Big Mac” she chuckled, pressing close to him.

“Eenope.”

After they had hugged themselves out she stepped back before realising something.

“Say, have you told Twilight how you feel for her yet?”

“Eenope.”

---

“ and I haven’t been back there since.” Twilight finished with a sigh. She lay across from Rarity in the middle of her library. The day was ending and the evening approached as the two friends coffee cooled, forgotten in the midst of their conversation.

“I just want her to talk to me more than Eeyup or Eenope. She’s my friend and she talks to me like I’m a tax collector.” Twilight hung her head at the comparison.

“This will just take time, Darling I’m sure of it. Given time she’ll come around, you’ll see. As much as I hate the concept, patience is a virtue in this case dear.” Rarity finished reaching out with her hoof to Twilight’s.

“It’s been two weeks Rarity, Two weeks and she still hasn’t talked to me has she even talked to you? I didn’t think so” she shouted exasperated.

“Twilight, I just don’t know what to say. Applejack has behaved, well, boorishly, but let’s remember that this is a big deal to her-“

“And it isn’t a big deal to me? I love him, Rarity. Celestia, it hurts to say it but I do and I can’t keep ignoring him because it hurts not to be near him, it hurts that one of my best friends can’t even look me in the eyes anymore. Big Mac told me what she said when he told them about us kissing. I can’t even begin to think how much it’ll hurt her when I say that I want to be with him. Why can’t she just be happy for me? I know that perhaps I’m being selfish to say it but that’s all I want. Him.” Twilight finished her interruption tiredly, deflating form the defiant stance. “Is that too much to ask, Rarity? Am I a bad friend for loving him?”

“Never” Rarity said firmly.” Applejack just needs some time to adjust, that’s all. Relationships are tricky, I can’t even get a handle on my own budding relationship so I can only imagine what you are going through.” Rarity lost herself in her own thoughts for a second before continuing “that’s neither here nor there but what I can tell you is that she’ll come around. She’s stubborn is our Applejack but her heart is in the right place and she sees sense in the end.”

Twilight gave a small nod, comforted.

“I know but it still hurts.”

“Maybe it’s harsh but perhaps that’s how you know it is real. What’s love without a little adversity, a little pain?” Rarity smiled.

“I just wish it didn’t hurt so much, why couldn’t it be easy? I always think about things, Rarity. I plan and plan and where does it get me? I can’t plan this, I just want to feel. Just follow my heart.”

The two mares just looked at each other. There was nothing either could say to that.

“Then do it.”

There was something she could say though.

“Twilight, I just wanted to apologise” Applejack started, she stood in the doorway of the library, her hat grasped nervously in her left forehoof, “first for just bargin’ on in here. That ain’t exactly good manners and….well…” she stumbled before arched an eyebrow at her, Twilight doing the same “ for being plumb ignorant. Ah know ah’ve been ignoring you, snubbin’ ya and that ain’t what friends to. Heck you are family and you don’t treat family like that neither. So ahm sorry.”

Rarity nodded, understanding that the apology was meant for her as well. It wasn’t enough but it was a start.

“And?” Twilight asked cutting through the room.

“And since ah’ve been pig-headed ahm going do us all a favour and move out of the doorway” she replied stepping off towards Rarity.

“What does that-“ Twilight’s voiced choked off as she looked at Big Mac walking through the door.

“Miss Twilight,” his deep throaty voice rumbled full of contentment. “Ah think me and you need to have a talk. Finally.”

Twilight nodded mutely as he approached her.

“Ah love you, Twilight” he said simply.

A surprised Big Mac stood still as Twilight kissed him deeply, pouring all that she had felt in the last few weeks into it, all the pain and anger, the joy and laughter, and most importantly the love.

Nudging a lovestruck Rarity lightly in the ribs, Applejack led her outside the Library to give the new lovers some privacy. It was the least she owed to them considering the hurt she caused them and as she left she swore she could hear Twilight’s voice quietly reply “I love you too, Big Mac.”

Author's Note:

What to say about this Chapter? Well first off, since I in many ways ape Applejack, I will do so again. I'm sorry. Sorry this took me so damn long, and the reason for that is myriad and too long to recount so instead I'll simplify. I'm lazy. I got stuck on this chapter so long ago, I went through a few different scenarios (originally none of this was meant to happen and instead it would have been a spa scene with Rarity and Fluttershy talking about certain things) yet nothing seemed to work. Probably because I had never planned this part of the story and it really threw me for a loop. I struggled and stumbled and about twenty minutes ago I managed to knock this up based on an earlier chapter I threw out. Honestly, this is not a chapter I'm happy with but it is a chapter. So at least there's that. To the few still reading "Hello and I'm sorry." Again I'm not going to promise updates (I'm not good at that) but I will finish. The base ending I wanted is still in my head and if I really wanted to I might be able to pare it down to two chapters just to put this story to bed. That's a possibility. Anyway as bad as this is, I hope you enjoy.

Comments

[Angius]

SWEET CELESTIA'S MIGHTY PLOT!

An update! A real update! I...

I...

I cannot express my feelings right now...

For almost two years I thought this fic is dead... And it looks like it resurrected!

For good, I hope, not a 2k chapter every two years?

[Matt11]

5432046 hmm I can't see an orphan being in a show with loveing and caring ponies, there is still no good proof unless we see a care taker or mother/father prooving shes no orphan I'm afird no side has proof. I for one don't want an orphan on mlp.

5532338 I also heard that L. Faust wanted her to be disabiled but seems like they trashed her idea since she left.

[Saro0fdemonz]

damnit i forgot everything that happened! BACK TO THE BEGINNING

[Angius]

5533444 I sure hope that's not the case...

[articunos bitch]

Are you kidding me! I just looked at this for the first time in months earleir this afternoon. Well it's up. Great!

“Say, have you told Twilight how you feel for her yet?”
“Eenope.”

Best hurry then.
5533263 Maybe not entirely. She still can't fly, here's to hoping she a Crip for Life.

[Matt11]

5533468 I'm hoping she flys they did say it wasn't decided on twiter once.

[Vates Despero]

So... are you back? Because I removed this from my Read Later list a while ago as a dead story... along with Remember Me from my tracking.

[Anon251P]

Yay, your back.

[Intervir]

It is alive!!!!!

[munchonyosocks]

Totally happy this is back :) This chapter made me feel troubled, but completely in a good way!
I cant wait to see where the Applejack/Rarity/Scootaloo relationship goes.

[Angius]

Oh. So it's a "It may take me ten years, but I'll finish it. Or I'll just wrap it up in two chapters if I'm feeling lazy. " kind of deal..?

I'm honestly... Disappointed with your approach... I've read few fics that felt a tad bit rushed by the end, but I've never seen an author openly considering rushing the ending just to get it over with... I mean, one could think, that writing fanfics should be a passion, not a chore, or a thing to tick off your list as "mark my fic as finished"

[Saro0fdemonz]

Made it back! YAY! I love this story. I was scared it had died, but once I started reading it again I realized what it was and realized it was alive!

[BenRG]

I can see Rarity just standing there, star-struck, until Applejack slides under her and carries her off, still paralysed with romance.

[Cold Spike]

Fun chapters, but I can see a story like this working out better if it had a bit more fluff. The first time I have ever asked fo rthat in a Fim story o.O

[Imperator45]

TWIMAC!TWIMAC!TWIMAC!TWIMAC!TWIMAC!X AWESOME

[TDR]

seems to be something lost in the middle. It jumps right from Rarity Twi talking to BAM AJ is suddenly there talking with nothing in the middle.

[CrackedInkWell]

By the power invested in me, myself and I, (since this story hasn't been updated for over six months) I declare this story to be dead.

My it forever rest in peace.

[Justin Mershimer]

3115041
Hope this story's continuing.

[Applety]

This story is really great and it pains me that you feel otherwise.... I also would love if it was finished. The concept and delivery, while clunky in some places, is still wonderful and I enjoy it so so much!!!

Maybe one day you'll return to it...

[Tevesh]

I would love to see this finished. Probably a slim chance of that happening, but this story is really enjoyable.

[Angius]

It's been four years. I'm still hoping against all hope.