Author's Note

Chapter contains: Human/Humanized, Incest, Unrealistic Anatomy

Secrets

Applejack grunted as she hefted a large basket of apples up and onto her wooden cart, the old wood creaking slightly under its weight. She stood upright and took a moment to catch her breath, her muscles weary after hours of manual labor under the hot sun. She reached up and removed her hat, wiping her hot, sweaty forehead with the back of her arm. A cool breeze wafted through the trees and lightly caressed her skin, helping to cool her off. Seeing no harm in taking a short rest, she spun around and leaned back against the cart, fanning herself with her hat.

As she rested, she went over in her head the chores she still needed to get done that day. Handling the day’s harvest was no big deal under normal circumstances, but that was because she typically had Anon there to help her. Unfortunately for her, it had been his turn to go with their mother to the market and help her do her shopping, meaning that he would be getting out of most of his chores that day. Despite her annoyance at having to do his share of the work, she couldn’t help but smile as she thought of her brother. She shook her head, resolving to have him pay her back when he returned and they could sneak off to their favorite spot of the orchard for a little rest and relaxation.

A short while later, Applejack pushed herself back up on her feet and prepared to get back to work, but stopped when she saw Apple Bloom walking through the trees towards her. She walked slowly, but not casually, her posture and movements reserved and measured. Her face, normally the picture of youthful beauty, bore a stern expression. The warm orange of her eyes did little to mitigate her cold gaze, although a hint of trepidation could be seen there as well. Applejack, however, noticed none of this, instead seeing her as the same spunky little sister she had known for almost her entire life.

“Hey there!” said Applejack with a grin as Apple Bloom approached. “You finish feedin’ the chickens?”

“Yeah,” said Apple Bloom flatly, coming to a stop a short distance from where Applejack stood.

“Well, alright then!” said Applejack. “Say, why don’t you give me hand with this? I don’t fancy spendin’ all day pickin’ up your brother’s slack.” Without waiting for an answer, Applejack began walking towards a heavily laden tree, with an empty basket waiting beneath it.

Apple Bloom took a deep breath, clenching her fists and steeling her nerve. After a moment’s hesitation, she slowly opened her mouth. “Applejack,” she said, “we need to talk.”

Most guys would probably balk at having to help their mothers carry grocery bags from town all the way back to their homes on the outskirts. While there were certainly many things I would rather be doing, the chore was not altogether unenjoyable. Some might call me a mama’s boy, but I didn’t care; I always enjoyed spending an afternoon with my mother, even if it involved a bit of heavy lifting. My shoulders were starting to ache, but I adjusted my grip and bore with it, as we were almost home.

I glanced over at Buttercup, who was strolling along the path beside me with a smile on her face and the wind blowing through her long, orange hair. On her feet, she wore the same old boots she wore whenever she wasn’t trying to look nice, although she still managed to look beautiful no matter what she wore. Her ample thighs, hips, and butt were squeezed into a knee-length orange skirt that, on any other woman, would have been loose and roomy. In addition, she wore a bright white blouse with short sleeves that was, thankfully, large enough to contain her other assets. As usual, Buttercup was blissfully unaware of just how alluring of an image she presented, even in such casual clothing. One of the reasons my sisters and I accompanied her on her shopping trips, in addition to keeping her from having to carry both the groceries and her own heavy cargo, was to keep any of the shopkeepers from ogling her too openly.

Buttercup noticed me looking over at her and turned her head to face me. “You sure you don’t want me to take some of that?” she said, referring to the shopping bags I was carrying. As usual, I was carrying the lion’s share of the groceries, but only because I had chosen to. Buttercup may have been a strong woman, but she was also my mother, and I wasn’t about to let her struggle when I was around to help her. Besides, I knew how hard she worked to keep our family going; I knew how much she took on, suffering in silence despite our attempts to help her. If there was anything I could do to make her life just a little bit easier, I would do it; she, of all people, deserved it.

“It’s alright, Mom,” I said, smiling at her. “I got it.”

It didn’t take us much longer to finish our trip back home, the trees around us eventually stopping short as we reached the familiar red farmhouse. We carried the groceries to the back door and into the kitchen, where we set down our bags on the table. Buttercup gave me a peck on the cheek and thanked me for helping her with the shopping. As she began stowing away the various items we had purchased, I turned and exited through the back door, preparing to head off into the orchard and join Applejack. I imagined that she would have plenty to say about me running off and leaving the harvest to her. Perhaps I could make it up to her when the two of us snuck off for our usual playtime, I thought.

My mind began to wander as I casually strolled towards the orchard, and I was soon thinking about what sort of things Applejack and I could do that day. So engrossed in my own thoughts was I that I didn’t notice the very woman I had been thinking about approaching me until she was only a short distance away. Setting aside my more intimate thoughts, I looked up at her, my lips unconsciously stretching into a grin at the sight of my big sister. I took my sweet time getting to her, having come to enjoy watching the way her body moved as she walked.

Something, however, seemed off about her, I noticed as we drew nearer. She was not employing the strong, confident stride she normally did, instead taking slow, short steps, almost as if she were trying to delay our meeting. Her strong arms hung limply at her sides, her hands fidgeting noticeably. Her head hung low, her eyes pointed towards the ground at her feet. Her beautiful face, which would normally have filled me with warmth and comfort just from gazing upon it, now seemed cold, not a trace of emotion present on any part of her pink skin.

Neither of said a word as the distance between us slowly decreased, the two of us eventually coming to a stop a few feet from each other. The awkward silence continued for a moment, as I waited to see if she would try to say anything. My concern quickly overcoming my patience, I opened my mouth to speak.

“Hey,” I said softly.

Applejack’s eyes darted up towards me for a moment, but returned to the ground just as quickly. “Hey,” she said, stiffly and quietly.

“Is...everythin’ alright?” I asked tentatively.

Applejack’s lips slowly parted, seeming to form the beginnings of words, but no sound could be heard. When her mouth finally closed again, she raised her head slowly, looking me in the eye. Now that I could get a proper look at them, I could see how red and moist they were, presenting an image that contrasted sharply with the rest of her stoic expression. Before I could say anything, she quickly stepped forward, put her hands on my shoulders, and pressed her lips against mine. My lips and tongue reacted reflexively, joining her in a slow, gentle kiss, me being too shocked by the sudden gesture to do anything else.

As I recovered, a little voice in my head reminded me that we were standing in the middle of the farm in broad daylight. Placing my hands on her shoulders, I gently pushed her away from me, breaking our kiss. “Woah there!” I said. “I missed you too, AJ, but...” I quickly glanced around, ensuring that nobody else was around to see us. “You should wait till we’re out in the orchard first. Someone might see us.”

A peculiar smile appeared on her lips, making her look somewhat content, despite her obviously distressed appearance. “Anon,” she said softly, “I need you to come with me.”

“To...help you finish the harvest?” I said, more than a little confused.

“No,” she said. “Come on.” Without waiting for a response, Applejack turned and began walking away, not even looking back to see if I was following.

Applejack’s strange demeanor and vague request did little to suppress my concern or my confusion, but I figured that both of those things might be remedied if I went along with whatever it was she was doing. I quickly caught up to her, and we walked across the farm to the orchard, slowly and silently. As we weaved our way through the trees, I snuck glances at her out of the corner of my eye, trying to get a read on her. I liked to think that I knew my sister pretty well after having known her for my whole life, but even I could not determine what was running through her head.

A few, awkward minutes of walking later, I noticed that the trees around us looked very familiar, more so than the average trees on our farm. I realized, to my relief, that she was merely leading us to the little grassy clearing that we came to almost every day to enjoy some time alone together. We normally made our way to the spot from a different direction, hence why it had taken me a while to deduce our destination. As I saw the trees begin to thin out ahead of us, a small grin appeared on my lips and I chuckled softly. “AJ,” I said in a teasing tone, “if you wanted to come down here, all you had to do was ask.”

Just before we crossed the tree line and into the clearing, I put my arm around Applejack’s shoulders and pulled her close to me, quickly leaning in and giving her a peck on her cheek. By the time my lips had left her skin and I had raised my head back up, the trees ahead of us had vanished, giving me an unobstructed view of the clearing and the person already waiting there.

Apple Bloom stood tall and proud several yards away from us, her slender arms crossed over her chest. She was wearing what she normally did when out doing chores with us, her apparel not being the most striking feature of her appearance. On her feet, she wore work boots, and her long, shapely legs were covered by a pair of worn, faded jeans that were tight enough to show off her figure, but loose enough to be comfortable while working. Above her wide hips she wore an old yellow t-shirt which fit snugly over her thin waist and moderately large breasts. Her long red hair was tied in a ponytail behind her back.

None of this was out of the ordinary for her, of course. What really stopped me cold was the expression on her face. I was used to seeing her look at me with a scowl or some sort of teenage offishness, but this was something else entirely. The look in her eyes was one of absolute contempt, as if she were looking upon a pair of criminals, not her older siblings. I had heard the expression “glaring daggers” before, but even that failed to capture the overt malice in her gaze. Rather than daggers, I felt as if a dragon had driven its long, sharp claws directly into my heart.

My body reacted to the sight of her before my brain did, releasing my hold on Applejack and stepping away from her in the blink of an eye. I stopped short, my legs freezing in place as if I had suddenly become paralyzed from the waist down. A steady stream of curses ran through my mind as I realized what Apple Bloom had just seen me doing. I desperately tried to come up with something to say to downplay the awkward situation, but in my panic, I could think of no smarter approach than outright denial.

“H-Hey, Apple Bloom!” I said, forcing a smile and doing my best to speak casually. “Fancy seein’ you all the way out here. Uh, Applejack and I were just...takin’ a walk! You know, stretchin’ the ol’ legs out.” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “So, um...w-what brings you out here?”

Apple Bloom continued staring at me, not giving any sign that she had even heard me. The silence that hung over the clearing slowly lengthened, each second that ground by making my heart beat faster and palms grow sweatier. I might have ventured to speak again if her intense gaze had not scared my tongue back into my mouth, unwilling to emerge again. Just as the tension was becoming unbearable, Apple Bloom finally moved, her gaze shifting from me to Applejack, still standing at my side.

“You wanna tell him, or should I?” said Apple Bloom slowly, her voice devoid of anything resembling friendliness.

Freed from her hypnotic gaze, I was able to turn my head and look at Applejack as well. She was standing still as a statue, her head bowed and her eyes shut. Her hands were balled into fists, clenched so tightly that they shook. Slowly, her mouth opened, her lips quivering all the while. “I’ll tell him,” she said, her voice barely audible.

Applejack slowly turned towards me and closed the distance between us. She raised her hands and placed them on my shoulders, squeezing them tightly. “Anon...” she said quietly, raising her head to look me in the eye. “She knows.”

And there it was. I had spent many hours wondering what would become of us should our secret be revealed, intentionally or not. Telling Rarity had been one thing, Applejack having assured me that she would sooner put her boutique to the torch than betray our trust in her. This, however, was something else entirely. I could only imagine how the conversation between my sisters had gone, but judging by the look on Applejack’s face, the looks on both their faces, it could not have gone well. A thousand thoughts swirled around my mind in that moment, a thousand fears, each greater then the last.

“How?” I whispered flatly, too overwhelmed to even attempt conveying my agitated state.

“She...she heard us,” whispered Applejack, blushing and lowering her head again. “The other night. She heard us.”

My cheeks became very warm as I slowly realized what had happened. My chest rose and fell with increasing speed, and my body trembled slightly. Right then, I very much wanted to comfort Applejack. I wanted to take her in my arms and hold her tight. I wanted to whisper in her ear and tell her that everything would be alright. I could not do that, however, because that would have been a lie, and we had promised that we would always be honest with each other.

Instead, I summoned my courage, slowly turning to face the person staring a hole in the side of my head. Apple Bloom looked exactly as she had before, neither her posture nor her expression changing to show any kind of sympathy.

“Well?” said Apple Bloom flatly. “You got anythin’ to say?”

Did I? What could I possibly say? What could I do to fix the horrible situation we had found ourselves in? I was truly at a loss for words, my brain giving me no advice beyond running away and hiding in the deepest, darkest hole I could find. And so, I did what I always did when I found myself facing a problem I could not possibly hope to solve on my own: I looked to my big sister for help.

Something came over me as I turned back and saw Applejack, her eyes squeezed shut and her body trembling as if she were about to cry. She had always been there for me, she had always been my rock, she had always swooped in and saved me when I needed her most. This time, it was she that needed me. This time, I would have to be the rock; I would have to be strong, for both our sakes. I would have to take care of her, I would have to protect her, and I would have to love her. I had promised, after all.

My chest expanded as I breathed in a lungful of air. As I released it, my breath carried with it all of my fears, all of my worries, and all of my doubts, leaving only one thing left in my mind: my undying love for my sister, and my desire to do anything to make her happy. A strange stillness came over my shaky body, and my expression became calm, but resolute. Reaching out, I wrapped my arms around Applejack, pulling her against me and holding her tightly. Slowly, I turned my head, looking at Apple Bloom with a gaze as intense as hers.

“Apple Bloom,” I said, loudly and firmly, “I love Applejack. I love her more than life itself. And she loves me too. She’s not just my sister anymore; she’s my woman. We may not be married, but we made a promise to love each other for the rest of our lives. She’s mine, and I don’t care what you or anyone else has to say about it.”

A tense silence passed, Apple Bloom and I staring each other down, waiting to see who would make the next move. Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, her lips stretched into a grin, and she began to chuckle softly. Her eyes closed and she lowered her head, shaking it slowly.

“You know, she said the same thing about you,” said Apple Bloom. Her tone sounded casual and friendly, but given the circumstances, it felt anything but to my ears. “You shoulda seen her when I told her I knew about you two. She just went on and on and on about how much she loved you and how happy you made her and how you two were just meant to be together.” As she spoke, Apple Bloom clasped her hands and batted her eyelashes in a mock-lovestruck gesture.

“I used to think you were so tough,” Apple Bloom spat at Applejack. “Heck, everyone thinks that! To everyone else, you’re ‘Applejack, Hero of Equestria’. They think you’re the strongest, toughest girl this side of Canterlot...but I know better now. To think I’d live to see Miss ‘Cries on the Inside’ bawlin’ like a baby over somethin’ like this.” She looked back at me. “You shoulda seen her beggin’ me not to tell anyone about the two of you. She practically got down on her knees in front of me, although I bet you’ve seen her like that enough times to imagine it.”

I had never hit a woman before in my life, but I was quickly getting the urge to change that. “Well?” I said, somehow managing to keep my emotions out of my voice.

“Well what?” said Apple Bloom, the expression on her face quickly changing from confusion to amusement. “Wait, you seriously think I’m not gonna tell anyone? I know you’re dense, but you can’t be that stupid. I’m not about to just ignore somethin’ like this.”

“Apple Bloom,” I said flatly, “please. Please don’t tell anyone.”

An annoyed scowl appeared on Appple Bloom’s face. “Oh, now don’t you start talkin’ like that too! I didn’t come here to listen to you make a fool of yourself.”

“Then why are you here?” I said.

“I’m here ‘cause I wanted to hear what you had to say,” she said. “I didn’t believe her when she told me how much you loved her. I thought that maybe all that sexual frustration finally got to her and she just threw herself on the nearest man she could find. I guess I was wrong about that. But now that I know you’re just as responsible for this as she is, I got no hangups about tellin’ on the both of you.”

“Apple Bloom, don’t do this!” I said, my desperation evident in my tone.

“Why shouldn’t I?” said Apple Bloom. “Why should I just keep my mouth shut and pretend everythin’s hunky-dory? That wouldn’t be very honest of me, now would it?” Her lips curled into an unsettling smile. “I get why you two wanna keep this private though. Maybe your friends would overlook it, but others might not be so acceptin’ of a brother and sister bein’ together. You don’t have much of a reputation to speak of, Anon, but Applejack? She’s one of the Elements of Harmony; she’s a national hero! I can only imagine what folks would say if it turned out Princess Celestia let a dirty brother-fucker be one of the people in charge of keepin’ Equestria safe. I can imagine what Mom would say too.”

I was almost scared at how easily she managed to worm her way into my mind and pick at the exact things I had been worrying about ever since Applejack and I had become a couple. She was completely right, of course. In addition to being a respected member of the community and a local hero, Applejack was also one of the most important people in all the land, not to mention a close friend of Princess Celestia. I had never had much of a head for politics, but even I could imagine what sort of fallout might arise from our secret being made public. And if Princess Celestia ended up having to distance herself from Applejack, it would be almost a given that her protege would have to do so as well. Twilight Sparkle was too kind to just abandon their friendship, but even she might have to avoid being seen with Applejack in public, for the sake of her mentor.

Even more worrying than the issue of her friends was that of our family, specifically our mother. Buttercup was the sweetest, kindest, most caring mother a child could ask for, but if she were confronted by something like this, even I couldn’t say for sure how she would react. Even if she proved sympathetic and accepted our love openly, she might still suffer on the inside, as I knew she was wont to do. I imaged her sick with guilt, forever wondering where she had gone wrong as a parent in raising two children like us, all the while bearing a sunny smile on her lips. She had already been through so much, more than any person her age should be expected to deal with. The last thing I wanted to do was cause her even more grief.

“You two should count yourselves lucky it was me that found you out, and not somebody else,” Apple Bloom continued. “I’m a compassionate woman, you see. And as much as I hate to admit it, you two are my kin; I can’t be too cruel to you. Tell you what I’m gonna do: I’m gonna make you an offer, an offer that you’re in no position to refuse. Against my better judgement, I’ll keep quiet. I won’t breath a word of this to Mom, or your friends, or anyone else. You two can go back to your normal, everyday lives, and spare everyone a whole bunch of heartache.”

“What’s the catch?” I asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

Apple Bloom’s eyes narrowed and her grin widened. “The catch...” she said. “The catch is, you two gotta put a stop to this. You two gotta stop pretendin’ you’re somethin’ you’re not and get on with your lives. You two are not a couple; she is not your girlfriend, and she’s definitely not your woman. She’s your sister, and you’re her brother, and that’s all you’ll ever be. And from the moment you leave here, that’s how you’re gonna treat each other. No more of this lovey-dovey crap, and no more goin’ at it like rabbits when you think no one’s lookin’. And you can bet I’ll be keepin’ a close eye on you two from now on. You two give me one reason to think there’s somethin’ goin’ on, and I’ll march straight out to the center of town and tell everyone I see what I heard you two doin’.”

An eerie quiet fell over the clearing as she finished. The wind had stopped, the birds had ceased their twittering, and the trees around us stood as still as if they were made of stone. Even the light of the sun shining down on us seemed somehow diminished, as if it was holding its breath. Apple Bloom continued to stare at me with a disgusted look on her face; I stared back at her, my own features hard and expressionless. Still in my arms, Applejack was holding my shirt in a tight grip and burying her face in my shoulder. The wide-brimmed hat on her head prevented me from seeing her face, but I could feel her shiver as she struggled to hold back her tears.

While the world around me was still, inside of me, I had a storm raging that would have made even a pegasus run for cover. I couldn’t even begin to process everything I was feeling in that moment, everything I wanted to say, and everything I wanted to do. I felt angry, and I didn’t know why. Part of that anger was obviously the result of my little sister, someone I had known and loved for years, casually threatening to ruin my life, as well as the life of the person I loved most in the world. But strangely, that was not the full extent of my rage. I felt an urge to lash out, but had no clue as to whom I should direct my feelings. Apple Bloom? Myself, for being careless and getting us caught? Applejack, for being such a perfect woman that I couldn’t help but fall for her? Or should I declare the entire world to be my enemy for not accepting our love?

“Well?” said Apple Bloom. “What’s it gonna be?”

Slowly, I tore my gaze away from Apple Bloom and down towards Applejack. As much as I would have gladly have hurled some particularly rude language at my younger sister, I was painfully aware that it was not just my life that currently rested in my hands. I moved a hand to her face and placed it under her chin, gently tilting her head back. As her hat rose out of the way and I gazed upon her face once again, what I saw there shocked my out of my aggression.

The look on Applejack’s face was not the one of a woman who stood on the edge of losing her family, her friends, and the respect of countless numbers of people around the world. As I looked into her big, green eyes, I saw something that I would never have expected to see, yet at the same time, something that I was a fool to not see coming. What I saw in her eyes was the same thing I had seen the night we shared our first kiss. It was the same thing I had seen the day she had declared her love for me. It was the same thing I had seen when we laid with each other for the first time as man and woman. What I saw was a burning, unflinching, unquestioning desire. I saw before me a woman who knew exactly what she wanted and exactly where she wanted to be in life. I saw a woman who had found true happiness, and would rather die than let it slip through her fingers.

My aching heart slowly calmed, my turbulent feelings draining out of me like cider from a tap. As my mind emptied, I placed a hand on Applejack’s cheek, stroking it lightly. She looked into my eyes, a small, almost imperceptible smile appearing on her lips. My own lips mirrored hers, unconsciously stretching into an equally small, but equally meaningful smile. My course of action made clear to me, I slowly looked away from her and back to Apple Bloom.

“No,” I said.

Apple Bloom blinked rapidly, a confused expression slowly appearing on her face. “No?” she said, speaking as if she had never heard the word before in her life. “No? Are...are you insane? D-Do you not understand what’s goin’ on here? It’s over! The jig is up! I know about you two! I will tell everyone you know! Your lives will be over! You’ll never be able to show your faces in public again! You’re really willin’ to take that? You really wanna give up everythin’? Just for her?”

“Eyup,” I said without hesitation.

Apple Bloom recoiled as if she had been slapped in the face. As I watched, the shock and confusion on her face melted away, bubbling back up into an expression of fiery-hot rage. “You...you...you’re an idiot! You know that?” she shouted. “You’re just a big, dumb, stupid, horny idiot! And you!” Apple Bloom raised a hand, pointing at Applejack. “You’re just a fat, ugly whore who had to shack up with her brother ‘cause no other man would want you! She’s trash, Anon! Can’t you see that?”

“Nope,” I said.

Apple Bloom’s eye twitched violently. “Okay, you know what?” said Apple Bloom, her voice dripping with desperation. “Since you’re obviously just a dumbass that lets his dick make all his decisions for him, I’ll make you a better deal. Break up with Applejack, and I’ll set you up with Sweetie Belle. I know for a fact she thinks you’re hot; that girl’d be on you faster than a jackrabbit on jet skis. She may be a virgin, but she’s also the horniest, kinkiest, perviest girl in town. I’ll bet she’d let you do anything you wanted with her. Anything. Oh yeah, and she likes girls too! She might even bring Scootaloo over and let you fuck her too! So what do you say? We got a deal, or what?”

A heavy sigh escaped my lips, and I closed my eyes. “Apple Bloom,” I said flatly, “I made a promise. I made a promise to a very special woman.” I turned my head, looking right into Applejack’s eyes. “I promised that I would love her forever. I promised that I would always be by her side. And I promised myself that I would never let anything take her away from me. I intend to keep that promise, no matter what.” The tears that Applejack had been holding back throughout the entire conversation finally flowed forth, and we pulled each other into a tight embrace. I gently nuzzled her neck as she sobbed loudly into my shoulder.

A moment later, our tender moment was interrupted by the sound of a loud, shrill screech that made me reflexively jerk my head back up. Apple Bloom’s head was bent back, her hands grasping her hair tightly, and her mouth sending her scream shooting straight up to the heavens. As she neared the end of her scream, her knees buckled, and she fell forward onto her hands and knees. As soon as she ran out of breath, she immediately took another one and screamed again. “Why?” she roared. “Why, why, why, why, why, why?” With each word, she raised a fist, slamming it back down on the soft earth beneath her, creating a visible indent.

Apple Bloom’s angry yelling was abruptly cut off by loud, uneven sobbing, her body shaking and her arms trembling. “Why, Applejack?” she wailed. “Why are you doin’ this to me?” She raised her head and looked at Applejack, tears streaming down her face and her lips trembling. “Isn’t it enough? Isn’t it enough bein’ prettier than me? Isn’t it enough bein’ stronger than me? Isn’t it enough havin’ everyone love you more than me? Now you gotta go and take Anon away from me too? Why? Why, why, why?” Her words deteriorated into more sobs, and she collapsed down onto the ground, her face buried in the soft grass.

Of all the things that had happened that day, the sorry display I saw before me was the most shocking. A minute ago, Apple Bloom had been looking down on us with such assurance and confidence; now, it was us looking down on her, literally. My anger towards her was all but forgotten, replaced by a deep sense of pity and profound confusion over her apparent suffering. Despite everything that had happened, she was still my little sister, and I was still her big brother, and I knew what I needed to do.

Before I could react, however, Applejack beat me to the punch, gently pushing me away and slowly walking over to where Apple Bloom was lying. Applejack knelt on the ground next to her, reaching out and lifting her off the ground. Applejack pulled Apple Bloom close to her, holding her head against her breast and wrapping her arms around her. Still sobbing, Apple Bloom nuzzled Applejack’s shoulder and clutched at her chest. Applejack cradled her in her arms, gently stroking her head and softly shushing her. I slowly walked towards them, meaning to join them in their embrace, but suddenly, Applejack held out a hand towards me, indicating that I should stay back. Confused, but trusting, I did as she asked, remaining where I was and looking down upon the two of them.

As Apple Bloom’s tears continued to fall, Applejack whispered in her ear to calm her. “It’s alright, sugarcube,” she said in a comforting, almost motherly tone. “It’s alright. Just talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Through her heavy sobs, Apple Bloom managed to get out a few words. “Hate you,” she whimpered, weakly pounding on Applejack’s sturdy chest. “I hate you.”

“Why?” asked Applejack softly. “Why do you hate me?”

Apple Bloom tried to take deep breaths to calm herself, but only ended up triggering more sobs. “You...you took him away,” she said. “You took him away from me.”

“Apple Bloom...” said Applejack.

“It’s your fault he doesn’t love me!” said Apple Bloom. “If you weren’t around...he’d love me!”

“But Anon does love you,” said Applejack. “He loves you so much.”

“Not like you!” Apple Bloom cried out. “Not like...he loves you.”

No words of rebuttal came from Applejack’s lips, and I knew the reason why: Apple Bloom was right. As bad as it sounded to admit it, I really did love one of my sisters more than the other.

“I’m tired of comin’ in second place to you!” Apple Bloom said. “I can’t lose again! I just can’t!” A fresh batch of tears flowed from Apple Bloom’s eyes, accompanied by even more loud sobbing. Applejack continued to hold Apple Bloom, gently stroking her shoulders and back as she cried. A minute passed, and gradually, Apple Bloom’s wails turned to whimpers, which then turned to heavy breaths with the occasional sniffle. Applejack brushed Apple Bloom’s bangs back and gently blew onto her forehead, cooling her warm skin. She then turned her head towards me, raising a hand and motioning me towards her. I slowly approached my sisters and knelt beside them, putting my arms around them and pulling us all into a big hug.

Applejack leaned in and gently kissed Apple Bloom’s forehead before reaching up and wiping away some of the tears on her wet cheeks. “Apple Bloom,” she said softly, “you got it all wrong. Love isn’t a contest. It’s not about winnin’ or losin’. Just because Anon loves me...doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you too. We both love you, just...not the same way we love each other.”

“He loves you more,” said Apple Bloom quietly. Slowly, she turned her head, looking at me with her red, puffy eyes. “You’ve always loved her more. Even more than you should have. Don’t try to deny it.”

“You knew,” I said, the revelation triggering a cascade of implications in my mind. “You knew...even before...”

Apple Bloom sniffled loudly. “I always knew,” she said. “I just...never thought that you’d...do anythin’ about it.” Apple Bloom turned away, nuzzling Applejack’s chest again. “I guess...Applejack was just so gosh-darn pretty...even you couldn’t keep your hands off her. Unlike me.”

“That’s not it, Apple Bloom,” said Applejack. “I’m not even pretty to begin with. If anythin’, you’re prettier than I’ll ever be.”

“Why are you lyin’, AJ?” said Apple Bloom. “It’s not like you.”

“I ain’t lyin’ to you,” said Applejack. “You’re a beautiful young woman; anyone could see that.”

Apple Bloom scoffed. “Nobody looks twice at me when you’re around,” she said. “Next to you, I’m just a plain, borin’ little girl. No one sees me as a woman.” Apple Bloom looked back at me. “Least of all, you. You spent years treatin’ Applejack like she was the best thing since sliced apples, but me? I was just your little sister, no one important.”

“Apple Bloom,” I said, raising a hand and placing in on her cheek, “you are beautiful. And you are a woman. And...you’re right about me; I haven’t been treatin’ you like you deserve.” Despite the somberness of the situation, I suddenly chuckled, but not out of mockery for her. Instead, I was laughing at myself for being such a fool.

“It’s just...it’s hard, Apple Bloom,” I continued. “I’ve known you your whole life. When I look at you, I still see the adorable little girl who’d spend all day tryin’ to get her cutie mark.” My eyes drifted to the back of her neck, where I saw the image of the tricolored shield with an apple at its center, proof that she had found her place in the world, just like every other adult in Equestria. “But you’re not a little girl anymore. You’re a grown woman, and it’s my fault I haven’t been treatin’ you like one. If you wanna hate someone for me not payin’ attention to you, hate me. Don’t hate your sister; she doesn’t deserve it.”

“Maybe I do,” said Applejack. “You’re my little sister too.” She looked up at me. “And you’re my little brother. If we’re talkin’ about people who didn’t treat their little siblin’s right, I’m twice as guilty as you; I did it to the both of you. This whole thing started ‘cause I never treated you two like adults. I never let you two make your own decisions about how to live your lives. I always told myself I was protectin’ you, and maybe, a long time ago, that was true.

“But you know what it really was? I was just scared. I was just so gosh-darn scared of losin’ you two. I was so scared of losin’ you that I was jumpin’ at shadows, protectin’ you from things you didn’t even need protectin’ from. We’d already lost Dad; I couldn’t bear the thought of losin’ you too. I still can’t.” By the time she finished, the tears that Applejack had been holding back had begun to flow forth once again.

Apple Bloom sniffled, her lips trembling slightly. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I don’t hate you, either of you. I just...I just don’t wanna be left out anymore. I don’t wanna be just the little sister anymore. I want you to treat me like you treat each other. I want you to love like you love each other.” Her voice cracked, and another wave of sobs flowed from her lips.

Applejack and I tightened our embrace, bringing our faces together and squeezing Apple Bloom between us. “I’m sorry,” said Applejack quietly. “I’m sorry, sugarcube.”

“I’m sorry too,” I said. For quite a while, I had been holding back my own feelings, the need to be strong for my sisters outweighing the emotional pressure building up inside of me. But as I sat there, embracing my sisters as they cried together, their infectious sadness finally broke me. My tears came suddenly, but not altogether unexpectedly. As we cried, Applejack and I nuzzled our faces together, our tears mixing together and falling down onto Apple Bloom’s face beneath us. The minutes ticked by as we cried together, using the shared moment of catharsis to vent our collective anger, our collective fear, and our collective guilt.

So absorbed in the moment was I that I didn’t even realize it when we finally stopped. All I knew was that, one moment, we were sobbing loudly together; the next thing I knew, we were merely breathing heavily, still holding each other tightly. As I caught my breath, I felt something warm touch my hand. Opening my eyes and looking down, I saw that Apple Bloom had grasped my hand; I responded by threading my fingers through hers, squeezing her firmly, but gently. Applejack took note of this and brought one of her own hands down, adding it to the embrace. Three sets of fingers lightly caressed each other, two feminine, and one masculine.

“We’re gonna make this right,” whispered Applejack. She turned her eyes towards me, giving me a weak smile. “Both of us are.”

“Yes,” I whispered, smiling back. “Yes, we will.”

“No more playin’ favorites,” she said. “That goes for both of us.”

“Agreed,” I said.

“Apple Bloom,” said Applejack, looking down at her, “we’re not gonna leave you out. Never again.”

“From now on,” I said, “we’ll treat you like you deserve. We’ll give you all the love and attention you want. We’ll take care of you, and do whatever we can to make you happy...because that’s what big siblin’s are supposed to do.”

“Thank you,” whispered Apple Bloom. “Thank you.”