It was a heavenly smell. Enough to wake her from her dreams. Applejack’s eyes slowly opened to the sound of giggling and laughing a floor below her. She couldn’t help but smile as she took another whiff of the scent. Hay bacon, eggs, and cinnamon oatmeal, a classic breakfast. However, an additional sniff brought an extra thought to Applejack’s mind: the smell of vanilla cookies. Oh, the amount of cooking that must be done in that kitchen to bring the scent all the way up to her room! The food must have been scrumptious!
Not wasting another minute, Applejack rolled out of bed and onto her hooves. She pulled her hat from the nearby bedside table and rested it upon her head, smiling as she stole a glance into the wicker vanity near her closet. Minus a little bed head, Applejack looked ready to start the day. Or perhaps the surprise that waited for her downstairs prompted a little downsizing of the morning ritual. Showering and brushing her teeth would come later, extra later when she heard Apple Bloom’s sweet voice.
“Bye everypony, I’m off to school!”
“Wait, Apple Bloom!” Applejack yelled as she ran out of her room and down the stairs, stopping near the front door. The heavenly scent was behind her now, but she couldn’t skip out on this tradition.
Apple Bloom was at the door, saddlebag already on her back and a smile on her face. The door was halfway open, beckoning the morning sun inside since the windows were blocked with shut blinds. Her eyes widened at Applejack’s haste and she closed the door. “What’s wrong, Sis?” she asked.
“You know darn well what’s wrong,” Applejack said as she glared down at Apple Bloom. After a slight pause, where Apple Bloom looked to the kitchen for some help, Applejack smiled and ruffled her bow. “You never gave your sister a hug good-bye.”
“Oh, yeah!” Apple Bloom said as she buried her head into Applejack’s chest, wrapping her hooves around her neck in a comforting hug.
Applejack lowered her head onto Apple Bloom’s shoulder and squeezed her a little tighter than normal. “I love you, Apple Bloom,” she mumbled.
“Love you too, Sis.”
Applejack broke the hug, smiling wider as she opened the door for Apple Bloom. “You have a good day at school, alright?”
“I promise. Save some trees for me to buck, okay?” Apple Bloom asked as she straightened her bow and walked down the steps.
Applejack followed and waved her hoof as Apple Bloom started down the road. “Alrighty! Lemme know if you’re gonna crusade after school!”
“Will do! Lemme know if you need the house to yourself!” Apple Bloom called back with a chuckle as she stopped and stared back at her sister.
Applejack’s face reddened as the small details came crashing back to her.
“That’s right, if Big McIntosh and Granny Smith aren’t cooking dinner, then that just leaves—”
“APPLEJACK!”
“Woah!”
Applejack never knew how she did it, but kudos for being able to completely offset her center of gravity. Pinkie Pie tackled Applejack to the floor and laid on top of her, smiling like a foal in a candy store as she rested her head on Applejack’s shoulder. Applejack saw Apple Bloom giggle again and continue down the road and out of sight before she directed her attention to Pinkie.
“Good morning, Pinkie,” she said with a smile as she grabbed her Stetson off of the floor.
“Good moooorning, Applejack!” Pinkie replied as she nuzzled her cheek next to Applejack’s. She closed her eyes as she hugged Applejack’s neck. “I missed you so much!”
“Pinkie, we slept in the same bed,” Applejack said with a chuckle. “And I was right upstairs, how could you miss me?”
“I miss every minute that I’m not with you,” Pinkie replied. Applejack rolled over to look into Pinkie’s cerulean eyes. She gulped as they stared, and Applejack placed a hoof behind Pinkie’s head, resting atop her mane.
“Me too, Pinkie,” Applejack mumbled as she stared up at the patio roof. “Me too.”
For once, she wished that she had more to say than that. Applejack remembered Twilight saying something about brevity being the soul of wit. Now, as she had the one that she loved in her forelegs, she couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t true. There was always more to say when it came to love. Just like how there was always something to do on the farm. But it was different with Pinkie. With the farm, there were chores that needed to be done to keep the roof over her family’s head. With Pinkie, she could do anything for her, but there still never seemed to be enough time to show her love. She felt a small throb of pain in her chest at the familiarity.
“I made breakfast, Applejack,” Pinkie said as she lowered her head to inhale the scent of Applejack’s mane. “Granny Smith is still sleeping and Big Mac already started bucking apples. Do you want something to eat?”
Just like that.
Applejack nodded, smiling as Pinkie raised her head. A hoof in the mane, a kiss on the lips, and both mares stood up, only breaking the kiss after Applejack needed to breathe. “Thank you, Pinkie, I would love some.”
Applejack walked back into the house while Pinkie bounced behind her. She couldn’t help but notice a spring in her own step as she walked to the kitchen. She tripped over herself as one of her own hooves tried to double tap the floor. Did she just… try to skip?
Pinkie hopped behind the counter and readied Applejack up a plate of all the goodies. Eggs, hay bacon, and hash browns with a vanilla frosted cookie on a napkin for dessert. Applejack decided to stand near the counter and eat as Pinkie lightly pushed the plate to her and handed her a fork. “So, what are your plans for today, Pinkie?” Applejack asked as she gulped an entire egg in one bite. The food was absolutely divine, an offering that she didn’t deserve. Applejack swallowed and yawned while Pinkie brought up six hooves to count.
“Let’s see, I have to open up Sugarcube Corner for the Cakes, prepare the pastries, babysit the baby Cakes while Mr and Mrs Cake go get more ingredients, meet up with Rarity for a spa appointment, see Mayor Mare to organize her birthday party, and come back here to make dinner!” she said, all in one breath.
Applejack gasped as she lowered her fork. “And you still woke up early to make breakfast for Apple Bloom? You know darn well that I’m supposed to do that.”
Pinkie turned towards the sink with a sad frown. “I… you looked pretty tired when you came home, Jackie. Rarity always says that you need your beauty rest.”
Applejack blushed at her nickname, but still remained hesitant. “Of all the things I need, it definitely isn’t beauty rest, Pinkie,” Applejack replied as she shut herself up with a forkful of egg before she said any more.
Pinkie smiled as she grabbed the frying pan with her tail and turned to face Applejack again. “Maybe you’re right. You don’t need that much beauty sleep if you’re already the most beautiful mare to me!”
Again, her cheeks threatened to boil over. Applejack finished her breakfast and walked the plate over to the sink, gladly displaying her smile. “Thank you for thinking that, Pinkie. I can’t leave Big Mac out there by himself much longer.”
“Had enough of me already?” Pinkie asked with a giggle as she stuck her tongue out. She set the pan into the sink and hugged Applejack again. Applejack was going to respond, but she knew that Pinkie was joking this time. Instead, she changed the subject.
“Do we have any mail today?”
“Yep!” Pinkie zoomed out of the kitchen, leaving behind a smoke cloud for Applejack to hug before she came back, taking the cloud’s place before it could dissipate. “Just a few letters, all for you four, none for me.”
“Thanks, Pinkie.” Applejack grabbed the letters and passed a faint glance over them, before she set them on the counter. “They don’t look that important. I’ll read them later.”
“Okie dokie loki!” Pinkie said as she broke the hug and bounced over to the front door. “See you tonight! I’ll wear my best dress!”
“And I’ll wear my best hat.” Applejack grinned as she followed Pinkie to the front door and opened it. “You have a good day, alright?”
Pinkie replied with a kiss on Applejack’s cheek, and then another giggle. “It already is a good day, and it’s only going to get more fun!” Pinkie dashed out the door, leaving a trail along the road as she zipped out of sight. Applejack couldn’t help but laugh herself as she closed the door and turned around, coming face to face with Granny Smith.
“Oh, hey, Granny.” Applejack’s smile widened. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Applejack,” Granny replied as Applejack’s smile spread to her. That seemed to happen a lot lately. “Doing okay? You usually aren’t still in the house this late.”
“Yeah.” Applejack sighed. “Pinkie helped me out this morning. I slept in a little too long. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize, child,” Granny replied as she began her trek towards the kitchen. “Celestia knows that you need the most sleep out of all of us. I still don’t know why you do the most chores. You’re gonna be lookin’ like me in 30 years.”
“Granny, I really don’t want to get into this,” Applejack said as she walked to the kitchen and prepared Granny Smith a plate of breakfast. She set it on the counter and grabbed the letters again, focusing on the first as she slit it open. “Everything works fine when I do a lot of the chores, and most of them rely on communication with the townsponies, which really isn’t Big Mac’s strong suit.”
“What about Apple Bloom?” Granny asked. “She’s been begging to help you two.”
Applejack set the first paper down on the counter and pointed at it, smiling. “Rent’s going down, Granny, that’s a good sign,” she said before she grabbed the second envelope. Granny nodded with a smile, but remained quiet since her question remained unanswered. “Apple Bloom might be going crusading today, so I didn’t give her anything to do besides a few apple trees,” Applejack added as she leaned against the counter, meeting Granny’s eyes. “This one’s for you.”
Applejack slid the second letter over to Granny, who caught it between her forelegs. “Thank you, child,” Granny muttered as she took another bite.
“No problem,” Applejack replied as she held the final letter in her hooves. It definitely looked professional. The outside of the envelope was embossed with this company’s logo. “Destiny Labs” it read, “We’re born with the answer.”
Applejack’s heart stopped as she slid a hoof over her embossed name in the corner. “Oh… this letter is for me.”
“You don’t get a lot of mail, you should open it,” Granny said with another bite of her breakfast.
Applejack gulped and nodded, masking her expression with a smile. “Yeah, new mail is always exciting!” Applejack said with a nervous laugh. She slit the envelope open and opened the letter with shaking hooves.
“Dear Applejack,
We write to you in response to the DNA test that you sent in on January 18th. We appreciate that you chose us for your services. You seemed very hesitant at the time and we are glad that you chose to find out the truth. Honesty is the best policy after all.”
“How are you and Pinkie Pie?” Granny asked as she took a bite.
Applejack blinked as she stopped reading and bit her lip. She was really glad that the letter masked her face. “She’s… we’re... fine. She understands that we both have a lot on our plates, so we can’t spend as much time together as she wants. I’m trying though.” Applejack sighed as she continued to read. “I’m really trying.”
“We are pleased to inform you that your suspicions were correct, and a Ms. Pinkamena Diane Pie tested positive. She is in fact related to the Apple family, and as such, related to you. According to our calculations, we believe that Ms. Pinkamena is a fourth cousin twice removed by a fifth cousin of the Apple family. We hope that this revelation is good news to you, since you told us that she is a “really good friend”. Once again, we thank you for using Destiny Laboratories for all your DNA testing needs. We hope you consider us again. If there is any other information that you need, please don’t hesitate to respond.
Sincerely,
Double Helix, M.D., President”
Applejack’s eyes glazed over while the room fell silent. Granny’s chewing, the ticking kitchen clock, and her own heart beat seemed to fade away as she lowered the letter to the table. She immediately smiled on reflex once she met eyes with Granny. She folded the paper and placed it back in the envelope.
“Something the matter, Applejack?” Granny asked as she walked over to Applejack’s side and placed a hoof on her back. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Applejack shook her head, her smile still plastered on her face. “I’m fine, Granny. Just nervous about Pinkie,” She walked to the other side of the kitchen and pressed a hoof against the doorway, biting her lip as she heard Granny behind her.
“Are you nervous about your dinner?”
Applejack nodded as she gulped back the bile that threatened to shoot up her throat.
“You love her, right?”
Nod.
“And you would do anything for her, right?”
A pause, then a nod.
“Then you’ll be fine. You both deserve to be happy, and I’m sure Pinkie is the one that will make it so.”
Applejack could have sworn that she split her lip open as she paused to calm her voice and breathing. “Thank you… Granny. I’m going to be working all day, so I’ll see you when I get home from dinner. I’m gonna take a shower first… though.”
“Alright. You have a fun time at dinner.”
“I’ll try.”
Applejack walked up the steps and into her bedroom. She shut the door behind her and threw the letter onto her bed as she sat down, burying her face in her hooves. She gasped and held back her tears while her hat fell to the floor. One letter just made her lie to her Granny. After the years of trust that she built with her grandmother, and everything that Granny did for her, she lied. The Element of Honesty just lied about an incestuous relationship. As Pinkie crossed her mind, Applejack’s heart throbbed with pain as she realized that this was only the beginning. She walked into her bathroom and slammed the door. She didn’t want to think about it. She couldn’t think about it, or risk spilling her stomach into the bathtub. She turned her shower on and freed her hair, placing the braid on the sink while she stepped into the water and closed her eyes. She knew that Big Mac was outside and probably needed her help. But more than anything, she wished that she could stay in the shower forever. Yet, there would never be enough water to cleanse the dirt within her soul, within her conscience. Without words and a gulp to hold back the bile, she began to lather her hair.
~~~
Applejack closed the door behind her and straightened her posture as she saw Big Mac turn towards her, barrel of apples on his back. “How much do we have done, Big Mac?” she asked, averting his eyes as she walked over to him and helped carry the barrel over to the cider cellar. “We’re gonna need about half of this farm for the cider, the other half for the market.”
“Eeyup.”
“Since we sold a big amount of cider last time, then we’re gonna have to prepare it way in advance. I still have to tend to the chickens, cows, pigs, clean the barn, buck the rest of this with you, and I’m gonna have to go extra fast if I wanna meet up with Pinkie. Which means if I did the chickens first and then the cows and pigs, then I could go back to the farm and buck the rest. I still have to sort the good apples from the bad ones, and put those on the stall for the market. Since that’s gonna take an hour or so, I’ll have to—”
“Uhh, AJ?”
Applejack paused and turned to Big Mac, “Yes, Big Mac?”
“Are you doin’ okay?” Big Mac asked as he stood near one of the cellar steps. “You and I both know what to do.”
Applejack picked an apple off of the top of a barrel and grimaced upon seeing a worm burrowed inside. “Excuse me,” she said as she walked past Big Mac and set the apple nearby the fence, letting the worm crawl to bigger and better things once he was done with his snack. As she came back to the cellar, Big Mac was standing in front of the entrance.
“What’s wrong, Sis?” he asked.
“Nothing, Big Mac,” Applejack said as she walked around Big Mac and back into the cellar. She began to sort the apples, tossing spoiled and perfect ones into their respective bins while Big Mac descended the steps. He placed a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder, but pulled back when she slightly twitched. “We have enough apples here for a run to the marketplace, don’t you want to get the cart ready?” Applejack asked with a sniff.
She focused back on her task, but Big Mac remained behind her for a minute, completely silent. She rolled her eyes and continued.
“He’ll leave if I ignore him long enough. We both know that he’s not going to get it out of me.”
As Applejack assumed, Big Mac sighed and walked out of the cellar, leaving Applejack alone as the door slammed behind him. With a sigh to calm her nerves, Applejack pulled the now empty barrel on her back and placed it in the corner of the room. She smiled.
“Six barrels to go on the cart, that seems about right,” Applejack muttered as she grabbed a full barrel and slowly walked it up and out of the cellar. She opened the doors to find Big Mac finishing his touches on the cart. “The apples are all ready, Big Mac. Just need your help to get them on the cart.”
A nod, and he walked past her, disappearing into the cellar. He came out with two barrels on his back while Applejack hefted her own onto the cart.
“Thanks, Big Mac, I couldn’t do this without you,” Applejack said as she removed her Stetson to wipe her brow.
“I’d hope not,” Big Mac replied as he set his barrels on the cart. “You’ve already learned your lesson about help, I’m just hopin’ you don’t forget.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nnnnothing.”
Applejack frowned and turned to face Big Mac, jabbing a hoof into his chest. “Are you talkin’ with Granny about things that aren’t your business?” she asked with a glare that quickly disappeared.
Big Mac didn’t even puff out his chest and it felt like Applejack jabbed a wall. It didn’t help that he was glaring daggers into her own eyes too. However instead of speaking, he walked back into the cellar and brought up another two barrels. Applejack followed to grab the final one and as she placed it on the cart, Big Mac strapped the cart to himself, but remained still, facing Applejack.
Applejack paused. “Aren’t you going to go?” she asked.
“Nnope.”
Applejack sighed and ran a hoof through her mane. “Big Mac, I’m fine,” she said with annoyance.
“Never asked if you were fine,” Big Mac replied flatly, “I asked if you were okay.”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, okay, whatever you want to call it! You’re burning daylight and bits by standing here! If you aren’t going to sell the apples, then I’ll do it. Move.”
Applejack pushed her flank up against Big Mac’s in a futile effort to get him to move. All that she managed to do was tire herself out as Big Mac stood completely still, an immovable object to the stoppable force. “I’m not movin’,” Big Mac said, “tell me what’s wrong.”
Applejack groaned in annoyance and stood up. “It’s nothing to worry about! I’ll take care of it!”
“Is it rent?”
Applejack shook her head. “No, it’s not rent. We already have that covered and more so once cider season comes in.”
“Apple Bloom?”
“No, Big Mac, it’s not that.”
A pause.
“Pinkie?”
Another pause, before Applejack sighed and sat on the dirt. She nodded and tilted the Stetson down, breaking her gaze with her brother.
“Are you both okay? Pinkie seemed happy when she was making breakfast.”
“We’re f…” She couldn’t lie. “I don’t know what we are, Big Mac. We’re not fine… I know that.”
“What’s wrong?”
Applejack inhaled and bit her lip as she let it out. “Pinkie and I are… related.”
Big Mac didn’t seem to notice the problem due to his apparent silence. Applejack looked up to see him with a raised eyebrow.
“What’s that look for?” Applejack asked as she stood up, blinking back tears of frustration.
“I thought we already knew that,” Big Mac said as he turned towards the road, but didn’t leave yet. “From Goldie Delicious, remember?”
“We didn’t know for sure!” Applejack said with a stamp of her hoof. “Why would I date somepony that I’m related to?! That’s basically begging for the town to gossip!”
“No, it’s not, Applejack,” Big Mac said, voice losing patience. “If you are the only one who knows about you two, then what is the problem?”
“You know darn well what the problem is!” Applejack said with a bigger jab to Big Mac’s chest. “I’ve already made the problem worse by telling you! Now that’s two ponies that know, and there’s no way that I can keep this from Pinkie. If I tell Pinkie, then I can guarantee that the whole town is going to know about it.”
“What about—”
“I can’t trust her Pinkie Promise. I want to… I could trust her with anything else, but this is too much. If anyone else finds out about this, we’ll become the laughingstock of Ponyville. I can’t do that to her.”
Applejack grabbed Big Mac’s chest and stared into his eyes. “You have to promise not to tell a soul.”
Big Mac merely glared. “Fine,” he replied as he waited for Applejack to let him go. “I’m going to the market.” He looked towards the road, before he passed a glance back to Applejack. “Make the right decision. If you break Pinkie’s heart… I’ll be very upset with you.”
“Thank you, Big Mac,” Applejack replied as she placed her Stetson back on her head. Without another word, Big Mac started down the road. Applejack turned towards the apple trees, and her untouched half. With a blink, she walked over to a tree and began to buck, spacing out as she picked up the pace.
“Pinkie… I hope you’ll forgive me…”
~~~
She didn’t want to, but she had to. Her desire to throw up told her not to, but the hat hanging in her closet told her otherwise. Everything on the farm was done, with not a single chore saved for tomorrow. Cider season was going to be excellent this year, but Applejack didn’t want to sell any. She didn’t want to leave her bed. Her muscles and back ached, even after another shower. Her dinner was in thirty minutes, and even though she was ready, a random thought popped into her mind.
Applejack looked out her window at Celestia’s setting sun, or at least, what she could see of it. The evening sky was populated in clouds to get the rain out of the way, so that a sunny and beautiful weekend could follow.
“Good thing we’re eating inside,” Applejack muttered as she sat up and swung her hind legs over the bed. She stared down at the wooden floor, hooves gripping the sheets. She passed a glance to the alarm clock on her bedside table. “7:05”, it read. Applejack laid back down on the bed, releasing the sheets as she looked at the pillow next to her own, Pinkie’s pillow. She saw a single hair upon the pillowcase, and she picked it up to hold in the center of her hoof. Pinkie was waiting. With a sigh, Applejack grabbed her hat and walked out of the room, making sure to smile once she descended the stairs.
“Off on your date, Sis?”
Applejack turned to Apple Bloom and her smile suddenly felt more genuine as she thought of an idea. “Say, Apple Bloom, are you hungry at all?”
Apple Bloom blinked as she looked up from her homework. “Um… no?”
Applejack stepped closer, still smiling as she pulled Apple Bloom up into a huge hug. “Are you sure that you don’t want your big sis to whip up something for ya?” she asked with a squeeze.
Apple Bloom gasped. “Too… tight!” she choked, eyes almost popping out of her head.
“Oops, sorry.” Applejack released Apple Bloom and scratched the back of her head nervously. “So, is that a no?”
“No, I can wait until you get home. Sis, are you doing okay?” Apple Bloom said as she rubbed her neck while muttering a small “ow”.
Applejack waved away Apple Bloom’s question. “Of course I’m alright, you cute little thing. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Maybe because you have an important date that Pinkie talked about all this morning and you look like you’re wasting time?”
Applejack stared at Apple Bloom, the silence enabling anyone to hear a pin drop. Applejack’s stomach was threatening her again. She had to be honest… somewhat.
“Um… to tell you the truth, Apple Bloom, I’m just nervous.” Applejack flicked her hat back into place while she turned to show Apple Bloom her tail, albeit without a purpose. She didn’t care what she looked like, since it all wouldn’t matter soon enough. “Is my tail okay?”
Apple Bloom smirked, and Applejack assumed it was because it was the headstrong’s turn to be nervous. “You’ll be fine, Sis. Pinkie would love you no matter what you did or said. That’s what love is. Sweetie Belle told me that.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow and adopted a threatening smile. “And when did Sweetie Belle tell you that? Does my sister feel this way for someone that she isn’t mentioning?”
Apple Bloom nodded with a smile. “Yeah!”
“And who is the lucky one who gives you these feelings?”
“Pinkie Pie!”
Applejack’s heart stopped in its tracks, but she kept her smile to avoid giving away her feelings. “You’re in love with Pinkie Pie?”
“Yeah! Well… kind of? I love her like a sister. She feels like the second sister I always wanted!”
Applejack felt her heart beat again and she sighed in relief, using the silence to walk towards the door. “I’m glad you love her, Apple Bloom. I do too…” Another pause. “I gotta go now, okay? There’s leftovers in the fridge just in case I take too long.”
“Thank you, Sis. See you later.”
“Bye, Apple Bloom.”
Applejack opened the door and to her surprise, Pinkie Pie was right on the doorstep. She giggled as she pulled Applejack into a hug while Apple Bloom chuckled and closed the door behind them both. “Hi, Applejack!” Pinkie said with a familiar squeeze.
“Pinkie!” Applejack gasped as she hugged Pinkie back and the two broke apart. “I thought we were going to meet at the restaurant,” Applejack added, not able to hold back the disappointment in her voice.
Pinkie’s ears straightened as she tilted her head. “Well, I thought we were going to, but you weren’t there when they called for us, so I came to get you.”
Applejack’s eyes widened before she frowned and sighed in frustration. “I’m sorry Pinkie… I just got caught up in a chat with Apple Bloom, and I had to get ready, and...”
“It’s fine, Applejack,” Pinkie said with a smile as she hopped off the two steps onto the dirt road. “Let’s just walk around the town and grab a few snacks. Maybe stop off by Sugarcube C—”
“No,” Applejack interrupted, as the thought of the Cakes’ took precedence in her mind. Pinkie looked surprised, and Applejack quickly tried to come up with a reason for her interruption. “Um… sorry, Pinkie. I’m just not in the mood for sweets right now,” Applejack added as she followed Pinkie onto the road. “You can get some sweets if you want, but I’ll stay outside.”
Pinkie immediately smiled again and nodded as she began bouncing alongside Applejack. “Okie dokie lokie! So, where do you wanna go? The Marketplace closes around this time, so we can’t get any snacks from there.”
“I’m not really in the mood to eat, Pinkie Pie. We can go wherever you want.”
Pinkie blinked as she stopped hopping and instead walked alongside Applejack, face riddled with worry. “Jackie, are you okay?”
Her nickname felt like a knife in her chest.
“Just say it, Applejack. Say it.”
Applejack nodded and lowered her head, keeping her eyes obscured with her hat. “Yeah, I’m fine, Pinkie. Just tired.”
Pinkie frowned and began to walk a little slower considering Applejack was doing the same. “Is this not a good night to go out? We can just go back home.”
There it was, an opportunity to cut the date short. Applejack opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t form any words. Thankful that her mouth was also obscured with her hat, she shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”
Silence followed the walk for a few minutes as Sweet Apple Acres disappeared within the horizon. Pinkie Pie stopped once she saw Sugarcube Corner, and she looked to Applejack. Applejack raised her head with a prepared smile and pointed at the building while she adjusted her Stetson. “I feel a little better now, just had some things I was thinking about,” Applejack said as she kissed Pinkie’s cheek. Pinkie’s smile didn’t seem to widen at all from the gesture, however. “You go get a snack and I’ll stay outside. After that, we can walk around Ponyville.”
Pinkie remained still, a blank expression on her face from the kiss. She took a moment to respond, before she smiled and nodded. “Okie dokie lokie!” she said again as she zipped through Sugarcube Corner’s door. As it shut behind her, Applejack sat on the steps and sighed, wishing she had one of Zecora’s potions to calm her stomach. Much like Zecora’s cauldron, her stomach bubbled and boiled with a dangerous combination of ingredients. Fear, anger, sadness, guilt, not a single bad emotion was out of place.
Every part of her was begging to tell the truth, to get this overwith so that she could go home and lament in her luck. Applejack wondered if Pinkie knew this was coming, if she had a specific Pinkie Sense for love that was about to end. Applejack choked back some more bile and lifted her hat from her head, running a hoof through her mane. Within the hat was the letter, a reminder of Applejack’s attendance to their makeshift night out. Her face drained with color as she realized that a lost reservation wouldn’t exactly help with breaking the truth. She cursed her memory. Pinkie probably wanted to eat at that restaurant really badly, but she let her down. Right after Pinkie made her and Apple Bloom breakfast, Applejack let her down.
Another stab, and Applejack gulped back a sob.
“Pinkie’s always the one doing things for me, while I’m just trying to keep my head above water,” Applejack mumbled. She sighed as the sun sank below the horizon, beckoning the night. Reality came crashing down as she placed her hat back on her head. The longer she dragged it out, the harder it would be to do it. Once Pinkie came outside, she had to break up.
Applejack barely heard the door open and close behind her as Pinkie munched on a cupcake while mumbling incoherently. Applejack felt Pinkie glance down at her, but say nothing as she sat down. Applejack placed her head in her hooves and sighed. “Pinkie, we need to talk.”
Pinkie nodded and swallowed up the last of her cupcake. “If you want to go home, Applejack, it’s fine,” Pinkie said as she turned her head to stare at Applejack. “Today wasn’t a good day for dinner, I understand. There’s always tomorrow.”
Except there wasn’t.
Applejack felt her heart jump in her chest. She could leave right now, and wait for a better time to ruin Pinkie’s day. But she wouldn’t. Pinkie deserved more respect than that, which is why Applejack decided to clear her throat, bringing back her composure.
“It’s not that, Pinkie. It’s something else.” Applejack reached a hoof up towards her hat, but paused. “Do you remember the time when we visited Goldie Delicious?”
Pinkie perked up with a smile and nodded. “Yeah! That was fun! We sang an awesome song, and had so much fun family time!”
Applejack wished she didn’t use that word.
“Yeah, it was a lot of fun, wasn’t it?” Applejack let her hoof fall to her lap. “Well… we didn’t find out whether you were related to us or not. And, I really wanted to know.”
As Applejack spoke, Pinkie was lightly bobbing her head to the song that they shared during their adventure, but Applejack knew that she was listening. Pinkie didn’t ask any questions, so Applejack continued.
“So, I took a hair from both of our manes and sent it to a lab for a DNA test.”
“Ooh a test!” Pinkie pulled out a notebook of paper and set it on her lap. She pulled a pencil out of her mane and wrote her name on the upper right hand corner. “Did I pass?”
“Pinkie, this is serious.” Applejack crossed her forelegs and frowned as she turned to face Pinkie. “Can you just…” Applejack paused. There was no way that she could ask Pinkie to be serious. Applejack stood up at the bottom of the steps and turned to Pinkie, looking straight in her eyes. “Yes, you passed, Pinkie.” Applejack took off her hat and held out the letter, which Pinkie took out of her shaking hoof. “You and I are related.”
Pinkie took a few seconds to read the letter and as she did, Applejack felt like the night was engulfing her. She couldn’t breathe, move her hooves, or look her marefriend in the eye. The last of her composure held back the desire to throw up.
Pinkie smiled as she read the bottom of the letter and threw it up in the air, before she hugged Applejack. “That’s so awesome! It’s like I really am an Apple to the core! Oh I can’t wait to tell everyone!”
“Shh! Pinkie, calm down!” Applejack said as she looked around for anypony that was listening. She didn’t see anyone, but Applejack didn’t want to test Pinkie’s uncanny ability to yell halfway across Ponyville.
Applejack tried to speak, but Pinkie cut her off. “I’m gonna tell all of my friends and everyone in town!”
“No, Pinkie, no you’re not,” Applejack whispered through gritted teeth. She broke away from the hug and walked over to the steps to grab the letter. “You’re related to me. Do you even understand what this means?”
Pinkie tried to speak, but it was Applejack's turn to interject. “That means that everything we did, we did despite this." Applejack held up the letter. "We both knew that there was a chance that we were related. And now that we are..." Applejack's vision glazed over as a tear slid down her cheek. "We can't."
Pinkie gasped as her lower lip quivered. She hesitated and stepped towards Applejack. "What are you saying, Applejack?"
"I'm saying that... we can't be together anymore." Applejack wiped her muzzle and placed the letter back into her hat as she turned her back to Pinkie.
"Oh."
Applejack's heart throbbed in her chest. The pain radiated throughout her body as she sniffed. She heard the soft thump of Pinkie's bottom hitting the floor. "O-okay Applejack," Pinkie mumbled. "I understand now. No more dates, or staying up late. No more living at home, not being alone..."
Applejack turned to glance at Pinkie, and wished that she hadn't. Pinkie was hugging her hind legs to her chest and staring up at her with eyes the size of dinnerplates. A few strands of Pinkie's mane curled upwards, but avoided popping like the last time she was truly depressed. Applejack wanted to reach out a hoof and help her friend up, but had she done enough?
"Pinkie... Im sorry," Applejack said as she blinked back tears. "I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you... but I just can't."
Pinkie merely nodded and stood up. She ascended the steps, keeping her back to Applejack as she placed a hoof upon Sugarcube Corner's doorknob. Her hoof shook as Pinkie uttered words that made Applejack's skin crawl. "You Pinkie Promised..."
Applejack's pupils turned into pinpricks. She hoped she was just hearing things. "I... what, Pinkie?"
Pinkie's mane inflated like a balloon before it popped, sending out a cloud of steam. She slowly turned around with forelegs astray, like a zombie that was just reborn. Her mane collapsed over her eyes, and she parted her hair to reveal an eye filled with fury. "YOU PINKIE PROMISED THAT WE WOULD SPEND OUR LIVES TOGETHER!”
Applejack remembered it. A picnic at Fluttershy’s cottage, when the both of them were housesitting for her. The both of them were sitting against a tree, enjoying the happy animals as they pranced and played. Pinkie asked, and Applejack promised. The Element of Honesty, the most dependable pony in Ponyville, broke a Pinkie Promise. She felt numb, barely able to hear a door faintly open behind her. Across the road from Sugarcube Corner, Carrot Top was staring at the fighting duo, no longer a couple. Applejack turned back to Pinkie as she sank back to her fours and stamped down the steps. “But Pinkie I—”
“Are my Pinkie Promises a joke to you?!” Pinkie asked as she stepped in front of Applejack, inches from her face. “Am I a joke?”
“N-no, Pinkie!” Applejack stuttered as she stepped back and looked left and right. Her face flushed with more color as houses all around the Marketplace opened their doors. Ponies poked out their heads and grew uncomfortable at the sight. Mr. and Mrs. Cake looked down from their second story window, their crestfallen expressions mimicking her own. “Pinkie, please, we’re making a scene.”
Pinkie shook her head. “Tell me the truth?!” she yelled as she sobbed and gasped along with her tears. Pinkie fell onto her rump and grew rigid, mane obscuring her eyes once more as it darkened with her tears. “Did you love me back then? Did you mean it when you promised?” She paused with a sob. “Am I a burden to you? Am I no fun?”
Applejack gulped and immediately shook her head. She bit her lip and tried to put a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder, but she shrugged it off. “I… I love you, Pinkie. I mean it now, and I meant it then, back when I promised you.” Applejack sniffed. “These months have been some of the best of my life…”
“Then… why?” Pinkie blinked back tears and pulled an envelope out of her mane. Applejack gasped and took off her hat to find that the letter was now in Pinkie’s hoof. “Why does all of that mean nothing, just because of this? It’s not… fair…”
“Pinkie, give that back!” Applejack said as she tried to swipe it from Pinkie’s hooves, but only ended up falling over herself as Pinkie zipped back to the stairs.
“No! It’s not fair!” Pinkie repeated again as she stamped the letter on the dirt.
Applejack growled. “Pinkie, that’s mine!” she tried to say, but Pinkie wouldn’t listen. Applejack’s heart throbbed with pain as Pinkie stamped on the letter again. She was beyond gone.
“It’s not fair! It’s not fair! It’s not fair!” Pinkie cried as tears dripped onto the parchment. Her stamping grew haphazard and she tripped over herself, falling on her back as her hind hoof stamped on the letter one last time. “It’s not… fair…” Pinkie uttered as she raised her forelegs to loudly cry into them.
Applejack stood up to see the crowd around them. Ponies hugged their doors, kept heads or even eyes poked out to see the movie after their dinner. She lowered her hat over her eyes, sniffing as another tear fell onto the dirt. “What are you waiting for, everypony? Show’s over…”
Applejack turned around and walked out of the Marketplace. She heard a few faint doors close behind her, but she couldn’t remember much until she laid down. She didn’t want dinner, and Apple Bloom was already in the kitchen making herself something. Apple Bloom didn't need her, and that final thought forced Applejack to drag herself to the bathroom. She emptied her stomach into the toilet, and collapsed into bed.
Author's Note
Second (and possibly final chapter) will be out soon. Thank you for reading and I'll see you all on the next chapter.
