> We Are Family
>  by BaltoDork
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Fluttershy and Big Mac?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I trotted to the barn after a day of hanging out with Rainbow Dash. It was that rare time of the year where ah actually don't have much work to do, believe it or not, and I've spent half of it already with the rainbow maned pegasus. I would be with Applebloom and Big Macintosh, but they surprisingly had things to do aswell, along with mah other friends..

Applebloom was with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, which was alright with me... The fillies are great friends to my little sister, plus I saw Rainbow Dash in the little orange filly. I love how Rainbow Dash took her in like she was her own sister. The poor filly barely even had a connection with her parents, because her real birth mother died giving birth to her, and nopony knows who her father is..

Ah honestly didn't know where Big Mac was, and it ate me up, ah still remember when I was just a filly and we'd spend everyday together. Now it was so different, and Granny Smith has already suspected for a long time that he's got a special somepony that he doesn't want us to know about.

But why... would he hide something like that from us? From me? If it's true, he's known her for about three years based off the evidence. Three years ago.. that always makes me smile, though.. that was when Twilight came and ah discovered ah was the element of honesty. 

But that aside, I missed my big brother. What ah would do, just to spend one day with him again like ah used to. 

Twilight was studying, that pony always had her nose in a book, of course, but she had some sort of important exam for the princess. Plus her brother and Princess Cadance was visiting.. with some, big news me and the other girls were fortunate enough to hear. Ah shucks, you can guess what it was. She was thrilled.

"Yes! Yesyesyesyesyyesyesyes! Yay! Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, OH MY GOSH! Aunt Twilight! Yesyesyesyesyes!"

I chuckled thinking about it.

Rarity was gone to promote her dresses in Canterlot, and she took Spike along with her.. It made me smile, honestly. Well, Twilight had Owlicious to help her in his place, he deserved a break, and he obviously was head over hooves.. or.. er.. whatever, for Rarity.

Pinkie Pie was busy with Sugarcube Corner actually, ever since the arrival of Pumpkin and Pound Cake they needed her help more than ever.

And.. well ah.. I didn't even know what Fluttershy has been up to.

I went inside the barn, and froze in my tracks as I heard my brother's voice. 

"I.. love you." I heard his voice, as clear as day. Who in the hay was he talkin' to?

I heard a squee and heard the sound of a light kiss. "I love you too, Big Mac, but, um, well, it's been about three years, are.. are you ever going to tell your family? I mean, if, if it's okay with you.. well..  um.. I just.. don't want to hurt Applejack, she's.. she's one of my best friends."

Well guess what? You already did, Fluttershy. 

My legs shook for a moment, my eyes on the verge of tears as I looked around the corner of the barn. There was my friend snuggled up, talking and giggling with my very own brother.

How.. how could I not have known? Why.. why would they not have told me?

If they would've told me, I probably would have been a bit more supportive. But.. nearly three years? I think not. 

I watched them in silence, as I managed to let only one tear slip. I have obviously been seperated from my brother, as he never told me this.

I started to back up, but I stepped on a twig, snapping it. I gasped as Big Mac got up. "Who's there?" He called out.

I ran off, not noticing how my hat fell off my head. I ran and ran until I got to my bedroom, and hid under my covers like a little filly, trying to process all of this..

Big Mac walked outside and looked around, the yellow pegasus walking next to him and nuzzling his neck fur.

"Well ah don't even know, Fluttersh-" Fluttershy pointed down at his hooves, looking very guilty, almost enough to cry.

Big Mac gaped. "Oh.. no.." He turned to his marefriend and sighed. "Ah'm sorry, Fluttershy, but ah.. ah need to go see my sister. I need to fix all of this.. now.."

Fluttershy nodded. "O..okay. Please, make sure to send her down to talk to me sometime.. I mean.. if.. if she wants to talk to me, after this.."

Big Mac kissed her cheek. "Of course she will, you're one of her best friends." She smiled and as she trotted off, Big Mac ran for the house.

I was very confused. Ah thought it would be Cheerliee, but the fact that it was one of my closest friends made it all the more terrible. Not only one, but two of the greatest ponies in my life lied tah me.

If it was Fluttershy, I wondered how Fluttershy coped with the love potion Applebloom and her friends brewed up for Cheerliee and my older brother.. 

I heard a door creak open. "AJ?" I winced at the nickname I haven't heard him say in ages, Rainbow was really the only one who used it anymore.

He chuckled and pulled the blankets off of my head, sitting next to me. I turned my head away from him. "What do you want, Big Mac?" I grumbled.

"This reminds me of the time when you heard about Applebloom and got all jealous." He smiled, amused.

"Don't you try to bring back memories." I snapped at him. I remembered when I was about fourteen years old... it's been about seven years since Applebloom arrived, and I didn't want anybody to be Big Mac's little sister but me.

He looked frustrated at me. "Sorry for trying to bring them back, but you know it was the last time you ever talked to pa.. that night.."

My eyes filled with tears. "Don't you dare mention it." I swallowed hard, remembering having to go to the hospitial that night, and as he passed away from sickness, he reassured me that Applebloom would be one of the best things to happen to me.

Now I was twenty one, Big Mac was twenty six, and I knew he was right. I loved the seven year old filly with all my might. And I knew Big Mac felt the same way about me, even though he was only five when I came along.

"But than after that Ma became bitter, Mac. She was so depressed, she never spoke, she only ate enough to keep Applebloom alive, she barely slept because she cried so much. And as soon as Applebloom was old enough to come home, she committed suicide." My voice cracked as tears streamed down my face. I hated talking about this, only Rainbow knew about it. 

Big Mac nearly shed a few tears aswell. "I.. I'm sorry, AJ. Ah shouldn't have brought it up. Ah just came up here because.. well uh, you sort of dropped this by the barn.." He tossed the hat over to me. 

I cried a bit more, because it just reminded me of how it was my pa's hat. Big Mac put a hoof and stroked my head to comfort me.

"Listen Applejack... ah'm sorry I was too scared to tell you.. ah should've a long time ago."

I sat up and put my hat on. "Listen, ah.. ah understand.. but.. it hurts. We never spend time together anymore, and, well.. it made me feel like, mah own friend was replacing me." 

Big Mac looked at me. "Applejack, of course not! Ah.." He sighed. "You've been with Rainbow Dash for the past three years aswell, don't think ah'm the only one neglecting their brother for somepony they love!"

I gasped, my face automatically went hot and a light pink color was on my cheeks. "Big Mac! Rainbow is just a friend.. Ah.. my.. dang it, my apple doesn't fall on that side of the tree."

Big Mac chuckled. "Than why are you blushing?"

I turned my head over to my side quietly.

"Applejack, do you think any of us here would mind if you did? And ah thought I was the shy one, but atleast I told Fluttershy how I felt about her from the start."

"It.. it's different." I whispered quietly. 

"It's not different if you love her.." My brother mumbled quietly.

We sat in the silence as rain started to come down, pattering against the roof in an almost soothing sound.

Ah thought about my best friend now.. I've.. admired her, ever since we met.. everytime I'd see her with some other pony, I'd get jealous. I got butterflies everytime ah was going to go see her... and I knew I'd give my life for her in a heart beat. I swallowed hard.

"Yeah, I love her. But can we change the subject?" I whispered, breaking the silence between me and my older brother.

"Yes.. ah.. I was going to tell you soon, AJ, because.. well.. ah.." His face turned pink. "N-nevermind, Applejack."

I looked over and smiled weakly. "You love her, Big Macintosh.. if you want to marry her.. well, ah, she would be.. an amazing part of the family. You know ah love her as one of my friends..."

Big Mac looked at me in awe, and after a moment of silence he chuckled.

"What?" I asked, rather annoyed that he was laughing.

"I just thought that ah should take you into town tomorrow to help me find a ring, but that's not your sort of thing."

I smiled gently. "Well, I'm all yah got, Big Mac... we might have to give Rarity a call though.."