Hello Again, Equestria

After a long, sleepless night, it was finally time.

Applejack had meant to sleep at least a few hours before she left, but her apprehensions about her long journey had kept her awake all night. Now, the clock by her bedside told her that her hour had arrived. She tossed aside the blankets and went to her closet, where saddlebag she had packed the day before lay waiting. She quickly donned the bags and cinched down its straps as quietly as she could, then carefully made her way out of her room.

She carefully tip-hoofed past Applebloom’s room, then Granny Smith’s, and finally Big Macintosh’s. The Apple family homestead was old and creaky, and she cursed every squeaking floorboard as she made her way down the corridor. She gave a sigh of relief when she at last reached the stairwell and began making her way down.

There was no time for a proper breakfast, so on her way to the door she grabbed an apple from the bowl on the kitchen table. As she did so, a light came on above the stairs. Applejack’s heart sank as Big Macintosh came down the stairs and calmly walked up to her. He stood before her for a moment, eyeing Applejack and her saddlebags.

“AJ,” he said simply.

Applejack pursed her lips. She had really, really been hoping to avoid this exact confrontation. “Big Mac, I…I know you an’ Granny Smith think I’m a dang fool for wantin’ to do this…”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said.

“…and I know that leavin’ the farm in the middle of apple buckin’ season ain’t exactly the most responsible thing I ever done…”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said again, drawing out the first syllable ever so slightly.

“…and I…I know it’s a long shot at best, and everybody tells me I need to just let it go and all…”

Big Mac nodded slowly before replying, quieter than before. “Eeyup.”

“But…” Applejack shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “But if it is him, Mackie; if there’s even a slim chance that it’s him, well…I just gotta take that chance. I just gotta!” She turned from her brother and cinched down the straps on her saddle bag. “I’ve made up my mind, Big Mac, and there ain’t nothin’ you can do to stop me.”

“Nope.”

Applejack turned back, surprised. “You mean…you’re just going to let me go?”

“Eeyup.”

“Aren’t you gonna…lecture me about how irresponsible I’m bein’? Tell me what a bad sister I am?”

“Nope.”

Applejack stared at her brother, then tears began to well up in Applejack’s eyes. Somehow, Big Mac’s silence was a thousand times worse than any lecture he could give. She turned her face away in shame, and a few tears spilled down her cheek.

After a moment, Big Mac put a hoof under AJ’s chin and lifted her gaze to meet his.

“Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do,” he drawled out slowly.

Fresh tears spilled down Applejack’s cheeks. She wrapped her hooves around her big brother’s neck, burying her face in his fur.

“Thank you, Mackie. Thank you for understanding.”

He offered her a little smile as she pulled away. “Eeyup.”

Applejack couldn’t help but chuckle. She pulled away from him and dried her eyes with a hoof. “You’ll look after Granny Smith and Apple Bloom while I’m gone?”

“Eeyup.”

“Okay, then.” Applejack opened her mouth and closed it again, but there was nothing left to say. Instead, she nodded to her brother and turned towards the door.

“I’ll be back uh…well, I’ll be back when I’m through.”

“Eeyup.”

With one last smile, Applejack pushed through the door and stepped out into the cool morning air.