Author's Note

Chapter contains: Human/Humanized, Incest, Unrealistic Anatomy, Harem/Polygamy

Revelation

The sound of soft, rhythmic breath in my ears. The smell of linens stained with sweat and sexual fluids. The pale light of morning kissing my eyelids. And all around me, covering my skin from foot to head, softness and warmth, the kind that could only come from the body of a woman. These were the sensations that graced my mind as it slowly shrugged off the blanket of sleep that covered it, emerging into the waking world once again.

Even as I woke, I still did not open my eyes, my body instinctively clinging to the waning serenity I was leaving behind. Despite this, when I felt a pair of plump, feminine lips make contact with my own, I immediately knew who they belonged to. I responded almost automatically, pressing my lips against hers and joining her in the most tender of kisses. For a moment, I felt as if I were still asleep, dreaming a wonderful dream of the woman I loved. I probably would have stayed like that, kissing those perfect lips for all eternity, had they not eventually withdrawn. My half-conscious brain got the message loud and clear: if I wanted more, I would have to rouse myself and go get more.

With considerable mental effort, my eyes fluttered open and gazed upon the face hanging above mine. My vision was blurry, but after a few blinks, my eyes focused on the familiar features of a rounded face wreathed by orange curls, the face of my mother Buttercup. Her blue-green eyes displayed the same tiredness that I felt in my stiff limbs, but the smile on her lips was as warm and cheery as ever. I smiled back at her, the mere sight of her more than enough to ward off my morning grumpiness.

“Good mornin’,” she whispered, placing a hand on my cheek and stroking it.

“Good mornin’,” I whispered back.

Buttercup leaned down, closed her eyes, and brought her lips to mine. That time, I was prepared for her, and so kissed her back more energetically. Our lips mashed together gently and the tips of our tongues lightly prodded each other. I raised a hand and placed it aside her face, stroking her cheek and her fluffy hair. We eventually broke our kiss, pulling back and looking upon each other once more.

“Help me wake your sisters,” Buttercup said. “We gotta get a move on soon.”

With that, Buttercup leaned back and rose from the bed, stepping down onto the floor of her bedroom. I turned my head to watch her, getting an unobstructed view of her mountainous butt as it jiggled. She slowly made her way over to her bathroom, letting out a wide yawn as she stepped inside. The pleasurable distraction of Buttercup’s bare-naked body having vanished from my sight, my eyes wandered to the other two women in the room, neither of which was any less deserving of my attention.

Applejack and Apple Bloom were still snuggled up against me, Applejack to my side and Apple Bloom on my chest. All three of us were still covered by the thick bedding of Buttercup’s bed, allowing their warm bodies to vent their heat directly into mine. Both of them were still sound asleep, their chests slowly rising and falling with every breath. I was somewhat surprised; Applejack was an early riser, typically being out of bed by the time the rooster signaled the coming of dawn. Although, considering how many times each one of them had stained the bedding with their love juices the night before, it made sense that they would be a bit more tired than normal. Even I was still feeling a bit weak, having just gotten through the most physically demanding, albeit most pleasurable, birthday I had ever had.

I leaned in close to where Applejack’s face rested on my shoulder and pressed my lips against her forehead, giving it a gentle kiss. I followed it up with another kiss slightly lower, kissing my way down her freckled nose to her lips. Applejack stirred slightly, but when I planted a long, firm kiss on her lips, I felt her subconsciously lean into it and snuggle up to me even closer. When I finally broke our kiss and pulled back, Applejack’s eyes fluttered open, eventually settling on me. We smiled at one another, leaning in and nuzzling our noses together.

“Howdy,” I whispered.

“Howdy,” she whispered back.

“Sleep well?” I said.

“You know it,” she said.

The two of us shared a quick peck before setting our sights on Apple Bloom. I raised a hand and brushed the hair away from her sleeping face before kissing the top of her head. Applejack leaned down and began peppering her with gentle kisses. Apple Bloom stirred, attempting to return Applejack’s kisses as she fought off her drowsiness.

“Time to get up, sugarcube,” said Applejack as Apple Bloom’s eyes finally creaked open.

Apple Bloom groaned, quickly closing her eyes again and wrapping her arms around me. “Five more minutes,” she mumbled.

“Come on, Apple Bloom,” I chuckled, “or I’ll eat your share of breakfast.”

“Oh, fine,” grumbled Apple Bloom, opening her eyes and laboriously pushing herself up off of me.

Applejack and I followed her lead, sitting up on the bed and stretching out our tired limbs. In between heavy yawns, the three of us exchanged a few more morning kisses and a warm hug.

“You three awake?” said Buttercup as she strolled back into the bedroom, still as naked as the rest of us. She had a brush in her hand and was busy running it through her long hair as she approached the bed and sat down on the edge.

“Eyup,” I said as I carefully pushed myself off of the bed and rose to my feet.

“You need help with that, Mom?” asked Apple Bloom.

“No thanks, sweetie,” said Buttercup. “I got it.”

Applejack rose from the bed as well, slowly making her way over to the bedroom door. She grabbed the handle and cracked the door enough to look out into the hallway while still concealing all of us. “Granny’s down in the kitchen,” she said softly, closing the door and looking back at us. “Let’s hurry back to our rooms before she gets suspicious.”

Buttercup’s smile faded, an thoughtful expression appearing on her face. “You know...we can’t hide from her forever,” she said matter-of-factly, lowering her brush.

My sisters and I looked over at her, momentarily shocked at the implication of her comment. Of course, we quickly realized that our mother was, as always, in the right of things. “We know,” I said.

“It’s just...I don’t know how she’ll take it,” said Apple Bloom. “She ain’t like you, Mom. She ain’t as...understandin’ as you are.”

“You know how she is,” said Applejack. “That woman’s as tough as old hickory. If she decides she don’t approve of somethin’, then...there’ll be no changin’ her mind about it.”

“That may be so,” said Buttercup, “but she still has a right to know. This is as much her home as it is ours. If there’s somethin’ this big goin’ on under her roof, she shouldn’t be left in the dark about it. Besides...she’s still our family. We owe her this.”

My sisters and I exchanged a glance, wordlessly coming to the same conclusion. “You’re right,” I sighed. “We have to tell her.” My sisters silently nodded their agreement.

“It doesn’t have to be today,” said Buttercup. “Or tomorrow. But soon. Alright?” She looked at each one of us in turn, giving us the stern look she always gave us when invoking her unquestioned motherly authority over us.

“Yes, Mama,” we said together.

Buttercup rose from the bed, a smile returning to her lips. She held out her arms and motioned for us to come closer. My sisters and I smiled and approached Buttercup, coming together in a group hug.

“It may not feel like it, but...this is the right thing to do,” said Buttercup. “And I promise you three...I’ll stand with you no matter what happens. I’ll do whatever I can to protect my babies. Besides...it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve stood up to that woman about...the people I love.”

My sisters and I each placed a kiss on Buttercup’s face, smiling down at the short, plump woman. “Thank you, Mama,” said Apple Bloom.

“We know you’ll always stand by us,” said Applejack, “just like we’ll always stand by you.”

Buttercup smiled back at us, squeezing us tightly in her arms. “Thank you, sweeties,” she said. “I know you will.” The four of us nuzzled our faces together, savoring the intimate moment. “Now...y’all need to get your keisters back to your rooms, pronto. If we’re not downstairs soon, she’s gonna come lookin’ for us, and I don’t think your poor old granny can handle seein’ us in our birthday suits.”

As it turned out, “soon” came a bit quicker than my sisters and I would have preferred. We continued to procrastinate, ignoring the issue of our grandmother when we could and making excuses when we could not. All three of us were very much happy with the way our lives were going, so we were hesitant to do anything that might change that. Of course, Buttercup was not about to let us sweep the whole thing under the rug. Despite the fear we saw in her eyes, the same fear we felt in our hearts, she still urged us on, forcing us to stand up and do the right thing for everyone. It was in times like that that I was grateful to have her on our side, the woman who continued to point us in the right direction even as adults.

It ended up being on a normal, otherwise boring day a few weeks after my birthday. It was midmorning; we figured that, if things didn’t go well, all of us would need time to cool off before bedtime. We had made decent progress on finishing our morning chores, but that was not the thing at the forefront of my and my sisters’ minds as we made our way to the back door of the house and entered into the kitchen. Buttercup was already there waiting for us, the same look of resolution on her face as ours. We glanced around at each other, reminding ourselves that we were not alone in what we were about to do. Buttercup stepped forward and pulled the three of us into a hug; I didn’t know whether the trembling I felt was theirs or my own.

Our footsteps sounded as loud as cannon fire as we walked from the kitchen to the living room. The windows let the morning sunshine stream in and bathe the room in its soft glow. Aside from us, the only other noises came from the old woman sitting in her rocker by the fireplace. The wood of the floor creaked softly as she unconsciously rocked forward and back. She hummed to herself as she worked the knitting needles in her hands, threading together some half-finished piece of clothing. She looked so fragile like that, just a little old lady with a white bun and an old-looking grandma dress passing the time as any grandmother would. Of course, we knew her too well to mistake her apparent frailty for reality.

Granny Smith looked up at us and smiled as we approached, lowering her knitting into her lap. “Well, hello dearies!” she said cheerfully. “Come to check on your ol’ granny, huh?”

“Somethin’ like that,” said Buttercup.

“There’s somethin’ we...need to talk to you about,” said Applejack.

“Well, I’m all ears!” said Granny. “Why don’t y’all have a seat and you can tell me all about it. Long as we don’t spend too much time gabbin’; we got a lot of work to get done over the next few weeks.”

“Don’t worry, Granny,” I said as I took my usual place on the couch. “We...we won’t waste any time.”

As usual, Buttercup sat in her reading chair near Granny and my sisters sat beside me on the couch facing them. The room was silent for a moment, neither my sisters, my mother, or I knowing how to begin. It seemed almost funny in hindsight: after all we had been through together, after how sure of ourselves we had been just a short time ago, we still found ourselves unnerved by just one woman, a woman that we all loved almost as much as we loved each other.

“Well, come on,” said Granny when the moment had grown awkward. “Spit it out. Unless y’all wanna sit here till next spring.”

Taking the difficult task of beginning the conversation upon herself, Buttercup took a deep breath and released it in a heavy sigh. “Granny...we have to tell you somethin’...about us,” she said. “Me, Anon, Applejack, and Apple Bloom.”

“What is it?” asked Granny Smith.

“It’s about...how we feel,” said Applejack. “How we feel about...each other.”

“It’s about how we feel and...how we see each other,” said Apple Bloom.

“We’ve been meanin’ to tell you this for a while, but...we just couldn’t bring ourselves to do it,” I said, looking down at the floor as I spoke.

“Hang on a minute,” said Granny Smith suddenly, “is this about you four ruttin’ every night?”

The sound of my brain breaking echoed through my head like the shattering of a mountain of glass. For a few seconds, I lost the ability to think, my mind as empty and idle as a dusty old attic. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mother and sisters freeze, their jaws hanging limply below the rest of their faces. When I finally finished rebooting, my mind ran at a mile a minute in an effort to make up for lost time. Over and over again, I replayed my grandmother’s words in my head in a desperate attempt to make sense of them. She had spoken as clearly as she ever had, and yet I was as lost as if she had spoken in another language entirely.

“Wha...what did you just say?” said Buttercup, sounding out every word as if she had never used any of them before.

“I said, ‘Is this about you four ruttin’ every night?’,” said Granny Smith. “What, are you losin’ your hearin’ too?”

Hearing the words again did little to help me make sense of the situation. She knew? She knew about us? And from the sound of it, she knew quite a bit more than we had planned on telling her about too. She knew all of this, yet for some reason, she didn’t seem the slightest bit affected by it. Granny Smith merely sat there, her expression and tone as casual as if she had just asked us about the weather.

“G-G-Granny,” said Applejack, barely able to get the word out, “you...you knew?”

“Well, of course I knew,” said Granny as casually as before. “I know everythin’ that goes on in this house. I may be old, but I ain’t blind! Well, I am a little blind, but that’s beside the point.”

“But...how?” said Apple Bloom. “We were so careful!”

“I’ll give you that much,” said Granny. “Me bein’ such a heavy sleeper and all, y’all probably coulda done it right outside my door and I wouldn’t have noticed. But that ain’t how I found out.”

“Well then...how?” I said.

“Well, you may have been able to sneak off to each other’s bedrooms after dark or find a nice spot out in the orchard, but when y’all are right in front of me, you let your guard down,” Granny said. “Maybe y’all weren’t hangin’ off each other, but I could tell clear as day that somethin’ was goin’ on between you four. Y’all’ve changed quite a bit over the past year, on your own and together. Don’t think I ain’t noticed that; I’ve known y’all for most of your lives. Now, I may not be the sharpest horn in Canterlot, but I know how folks act around each other when they’re rollin’ in the hay on the regular. I could see it in your eyes.” She punctuated this remark by opening one of her eyes wide and pointing it at us. “Y’all never coulda hid that, even if you tried.”

Another long pause passed before anyone spoke again. “Granny,” said Applejack softly, “if...if you knew...why didn’t you tell us?”

“Why should I have?” said Granny. “It was your secret, and y’all obviously weren’t ready to talk about it before now. I ain’t the sorta woman to intrude on folks’ private lives.”

“You’re...takin’ this awfully well,” I said.

“Should I not be?” said Granny.

“No, you shouldn’t!” said Buttercup, her tone growing distressed. “Don’t you get it? We’re...we’re together! Me, your daughter-in-law, and all your grandchildren! We’re all in a relationship together! How are you not upset by this? When I found out about them, I was furious! I was angry, and confused, and...and scared. How does this not upset you even a little?” By the time she finished, Buttercup looked as if she were about to cry.

“Buttercup,” said Granny Smith calmly, “take a breath.” She waited patiently while Buttercup forced herself to breath deeply and evenly, eventually calming herself once again. “Now, let me ask you somethin’: do you still feel that way?”

“Well...no,” said Buttercup, visibly perplexed. “Not anymore.”

“Then why are you so surprised that I feel the same way?” said Granny. “Dearie, you’re their mama; it’s your job to worry about ‘em too much. Me, on the other hand, I’m their granny; it’s my job to know better and not fret over things that don’t need frettin’ over. I’m in the same place you are about all of this, I just got here quicker than you did.”

“So...you’re okay with this?” said Apple Bloom. “You’re okay with us...bein’ together?”

“Of course I am!” said Granny. “You four need each other.” She turned her head and looked at Buttercup, speaking slowly and purposefully. “Buttercup, you need a new man; you need someone to love again. You’ve spent all these years feelin’ sorry for yourself, tellin’ yourself you’re some worthless old biddy that ain’t good for nothin’. It’s always hurt me to see you like that, but I knew it’d take somethin’ bigger than I could give you to snap you out of it. I just never expected it’d come in the way it did.” She glanced over at me for a moment, the hint of a grin on her lips.

“Bright Mac...left some big shoes to fill,” Granny Smith continued. “I know how hard it was on you when he died. It was hard on me too. It was hard on all of us. It took me a long time to make peace with it, but I did make peace with it in the end. You didn’t. You’ve been haulin’ all that hurt around with you day and night, and it’s been wearin’ a hole through you. If you’ve finally found someone who can fill that hole, someone who can make you forget all that pain, someone who can show you that you’re still worth lovin’, then I ain’t gonna do nothin’ to stop you. I ain’t gonna try to keep you from the people you love...not again.”

Without waiting for a response, Granny Smith turned and fixed her eyes on Apple Bloom. “Apple Bloom,” she said. “You need someone to keep you grounded, give you a sense of perspective. I mean this in the nicest of ways, but you’re a little wildfire is what you are, runnin’ around wherever you please, doin’ whatever you fancy. You got more spirit in one little finger than some folks do in their whole bodies. I guess that’s the child in you, and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, but you’re a grown woman now. You’ve spent so many years tryin’ to get others to see you that way, but you’ve never really played the part...until recently, that is.

“It’s a bit funny when you think about it. You’ve spent so much time thinkin’ about yourself, worryin’ about how others look at you and tryin’ to get ‘em to love you, but now that you actually got someone to love you, to really love you, you’re finally given all that up. You’re finally startin’ to realize that you don’t need everyone to love you to be happy. Sometimes all you need is one person. You don’t know how lucky you are to find that person so soon in your life. You’re a fine young lady, dearie; I’m glad you’ve found someone who can help you realize that.”

Granny Smith then looked to Applejack. “Applejack,” she said, “you need to learn to let loose and let others take care of you every now and then. You’re out there workin’ the orchard every day, mornin’, noon, and night, and you’ve been doin’ that for half your life. I know we used to need that from you, back when your little brother and sister were too young to help, but that was a long time ago. You’ve been tryin’ to carry us and this farm on your back for too long. It’s time you let us return the favor.

“You’re still young, dearie...and you need to start actin’ your age. You need to get out there and have fun, enjoy the best years of your life while you still can. And I don’t wanna see you tellin’ yourself you don’t deserve it! Nobody deserves it more than you do. You deserve to act young sometimes, and you deserve to act like a woman always. I know you have trouble with that, but lucky for you, you found someone who’s more than willin’ to treat you like the woman you are.”

With that, Granny Smith fixed those all-seeing eyes of hers on me. “Anon,” she said, “you need to start bein’ a man. You’ve been the man of the house for years, but you’ve never really acted the part, although I can’t rightly blame you for that. What with your pa bein’ outta the picture and your mama and sister treatin’ you like you were still knee-high, I ain’t surprised you turned out how you did. There’s lots of ways to turn a boy into a man, but havin’ him take care of a woman is one of the fastest.

“You used to have your head in the clouds, coastin’ through the day without a care in the world. Now you got somethin’ worth carin’ about, and I’ve seen how much you do. You used to be scared to stand up for yourself and your feelin’s. You ain’t like that anymore; you’re strong enough to stand up for yourself and them. You got somethin’ worth fightin’ for, somethin’ worth gettin’ up in the mornin’ for the sake of, and you got the strength to do it. That’s what makes you a man. It makes you as much of a man as any I’ve ever met. It makes you as much of a man as your pa ever was.”

Granny Smith looked around at all of us once again, then sighed. “Anyway, those are my feelin’s on the matter,” she said. “Y’all don’t have to agree with me. I just want y’all to understand.”

“Granny...” said Buttercup, still processing her words.

“We do understand,” said Applejack.

“Yeah,” said Apple Bloom. “It’s just...hearin’ it out loud makes a heap of difference.”

“Granny,” I said, “you’re right.” I looked around at Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Buttercup, my family, my women, and the loves of my life. “She’s right. We do need each other.”

“We do,” said Buttercup. “I’ve always known that. I just...never realized how much.”

“Well...now we do,” I said.

“Thank you, Granny,” said Applejack. “For this and...for everythin’.”

“Aw, there ain’t no need to thank me,” said Granny Smith. “If anythin’, y’all should be thankin’ each other.”

“You’re right,” said Apple Bloom, rising from her seat and turning to face Applejack and I. She reached down and took our hands, pulling us up onto our feet next to her. She then turned and did the same for Buttercup, bringing us all close together. She threw her arms around all three of us and hugged us tightly, nuzzling us. “Thank you...all of you.” The rest of us embraced each other as well, holding each other and bringing our faces in close.

“Thank you too,” said Applejack. “Apple Bloom, Anon, Mama...thank you all so much.”

“Sweeties, I...” began Buttercup. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

“I owe you three so much,” I said. “Thank you. Thanks for everythin’.”

The four of us leaned in and exchanged gentle, loving pecks, knowing we no longer had any reason to hide ourselves. When we were finished, we turned our heads towards Granny Smith, realizing that we were leaving out one of the most important people in our lives. We quickly walked over to where she sat, leaned down, and wrapped our arms around her, hugging her with all the love we could muster.

“Thank you, Granny,” we said together.

“Oh, you’re welcome dearies,” she said. “I know you four’ll be happy together. Just don’t keep each other up all night, you hear? If y’all start shirkin’ your chores ‘cause you’re too tired, I’ll tan all four of your hides!”

On the outskirts of town, far away from any other buildings, sat a cozy little cottage overgrown with plant life and dotted with an abnormally large number of birdhouses. Nearby this cottage, hugging the edge of the Everfree Forest, was a beautiful meadow of bright green grass and wildflowers. In the middle of this meadow, a small, but friendly looking tree stood alone, shading the ground beneath it from the warm sun overhead. At the base of the tree, a large checkered blanket had been spread out and arranged with plates full of sandwiches, small desserts, and other kinds of finger foods. Around this blanket, lounging peacefully in the springtime afternoon, were four young women.

The first woman was sitting back against the trunk of the tree, looking down at a book in her lap. While not the sort of woman to draw people’s gazes, she was certainly not unattractive, having a small, petite body with subtle feminine curves. While her small, perky breasts and buttocks might not have been to everyone’s tastes, there were many who considered her figure to be appealing in an adorable, girlish sort of way. Her attire was just as modest and pleasant to look upon as the body it adorned, consisting of a dark blue sweater vest criss-crossed with a pinkish-purplish design and a matching knee-length skirt. Her shoes, similarly modest and practical, had been removed and set aside, revealing a pair of sparkling white socks that reached up to her calves.

As she finished the page she was reading she lifted a hand turned to the next one. Her small, slender fingers were adorned with writer’s calluses, the product of years of note-taking and essay-writing. Something else her studious history had given her was the pale pink skin that covered her entire body, signaling to those who looked upon her that she much preferred to spend her time indoors. She absentmindedly raised the hand again and brushed a strand of her long, straight, dark blue hair behind her ear. While cut in a modest fashion, the vibrant band of pink and purple that ran along its length added an undeniable visual appeal. Jutting out of her forehead, poking through her bangs, was a rounded lavender horn with a spiral groove running from base to tip.

Sprawled out on the grass nearby her was another woman with a markedly different appearance. The second woman was similarly small and petite, although she possessed little of the soft, feminine fat that covered the first woman’s body. Instead, her body was lean and toned, her muscles sculpted by years of dedicated effort. Despite being even less endowed in the curves department than her companion, being just barely big enough to avoid being called flat-chested, she had no qualms about showing off her body. To this end, she wore a short pair of light blue running shorts and a matching sports bra under a loose white tank top. She had discarded her running shoes and socks, letting the gentle breeze caress her wriggling toes. If anyone had cared to look at her, they would have seen beautifully tanned skin, legs like springy young trees, and a six pack that drew the gazes of both men and women.

Her hands were folded behind her head, her fingers caressing the messy, rainbow-colored hair that ran down just past her shoulder. She breathed a contented sigh, basking in the warmth of the sun with her eyes closed and a grin on her lips. Sprouting from her back, right between her shoulder blades, were a pair of large, feathered wings of the same sky-blue color as her shorts. The wings were fully unfurled, stretching out on the soft grass beside her and soaking up the sun just as she did. While those majestic limbs were capable of moving at miraculous speeds when called upon to do so, at that moment, they were as calm as the woman they belonged to, merely stretching and flexing slightly every once in a while.

On the other side of the blanket, sitting cross-legged before the array of snacks, was a woman who could not have been more physically different from the athletic pegasus lying nearby. In every place the latter was slender and hard, the former was thick and soft. Two plump legs as wide around as tree trunks and as jiggly as gelatin led up to a set of huge hips and a jaw-dropppingly large butt that wiggled enticingly with every little movement she made. Higher up, she had a pleasantly pudgy belly and a pair of breasts that, while not rivaling her caboose in size, were still spectacular enough to fill the heads of every man who saw them with impure thoughts. The soft skin that covered her body was a warm and healthy pink color, although not nearly as pink as the poofy curls that sprouted from her head and ran down her back.

A pair of blue-and-yellow striped leggings ran from her otherwise bare feet to midway up her thighs, and a dark pink, knee-length skirt hung from her hips. A light pink t-shirt clung to her sizable torso, bearing the image of a trio of party balloons. In her hand she held a half-eaten cupcake, which she raised to her lips and took a big bite out of. The woman’s persistent sweet tooth compelled her to smile and grunt her approval of the tasty treat as she eagerly chewed. The noticeable jiggling of her body as she squirmed in delight would have been enough to draw significant attention from any onlookers if she hadn’t been sitting next to the woman she was.

Probably the only woman present who could rival, or perhaps even surpass, the girthy gourmand in terms of curves was the demure specimen sitting beside her. While the woman’s clothing, consisting solely of a breezy, light yellow dress dotted with tiny pink butterflies, was not noteworthy enough to draw attention, the contents of said clothing was. Beneath the loose fabric was concealed a stunning hourglass figure complete with wide hips and a relatively thin waist. While her legs were not outrageously plump, they were still noticeably thick and soft to the touch. Her butt, similarly, was not abnormally large, but was still full, round, and appealing in every way possible. Her stomach was the perfect middle ground between toned and chubby, being soft and squeezable while not ruining the gentle slopes of her waist.

What really set her apart from her companions, and most other women in Equestria for that matter, were the two massive breasts hanging from her chest. Each one of her titanic teardrops was around the size of a watermelon, easily outclassing the busts of almost every woman in town. The only other women who could claim to surpass her were those who had birthed and breastfed at least one child. Despite her unquestionable superiority over her peers in this arena, she had never let her sheer feminine attractiveness go to her adorable, light pink head. While her endowments could have easily earned her the attention of many, she much preferred the company of animals, such as the tiny chipmunk that was nestled in her lap and munching on a nut. She smiled down upon her furry friend, caressing him with her gentle, motherly touch. Lying on the ground, sprawled out next to her bare feet, was a white rabbit, happily dozing and snoring softly. Completing her soft, feminine image was the pair of large yellow wings sprouting from her back and neatly folded against her.

While the four women assembled around the picnic blanket were so remarkably different in appearance and personality, they did have one thing that they all shared between them: an unbreakable bond of friendship. This bond had been forged by a countless number of struggles and misadventures both big and small, each one serving to bring them closer together. So close had the friends become that it seemed like destiny that they should be together as they were. After hearing the stories of how each one of them had received the marks on the backs of their necks, a rainbow-colored lightning bolt, a trio of party balloons, pretty pink butterflies, and a six-pointed star, there were few who would argue against that theory. Although, those stories did involve another pair of marks as well: a cluster of brilliant blue jewels and three big, red apples.

Coincidentally, the missing members of the sextet were not far away, and were making their way towards their friends at that very moment. The two young women approaching were just as unique in appearance as their other four friends were. The first was tall and powerfully built, but had more than her fair share of feminine curves. She wore tall leather boots, worn jeans, an orange button-up shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat over her long yellow hair. The second woman was smaller all around, but made up for that through sheer grace and beauty. She wore a long white sundress, a matching pair of white sandals, stylish sunglasses, and a large sunhat over her deep purple hair. The two women walked side-by-side, moving at an unusually cautious pace, given the circumstances.

As the picnic came into view in the distance, Applejack sighed heavily and hung her head, her hands balling into fists. Noticing this, Rarity looked over at her, concern creasing her flawless features. She reached over with one of her delicate hands and grasped Applejack’s strong one, her fingers forcing the fist apart. Applejack looked up at Rarity as she felt her hand grasp hers and squeeze gently. Rarity gave her a reassuring smile, although it was clear that she too was feeling on edge. Strangely, it made Applejack feel better knowing that her friend recognized the gravity of the situation and yet still chose to stand beside her. A smile slowly appeared on Applejack’s lips as well and she squeezed Rarity’s hand back.

It did not take much longer until the two of them were noticed by the four under the tree. Upon seeing their friends approaching, Pinkie Pie’s eyes lit up like firecrackers and the already-wide smile on her face grew wider. With her mouth full of food, however, all she could do to alert the others was to grunt enthusiastically and point off into the distance.

“Chew and swallow, Pinkie,” said Twilight Sparkle without looking up from her book.

Realizing the problem, Pinkie quickly finished swallowing down her mouthful of cupcake, licking the frosting from her lips before speaking. “Sorry, Twilight!” she said. “I just wanted to tell you that Applejack and Rarity are coming!” Without waiting for a response, Pinkie sprang up onto her feet and began leaping into the air repeatedly, waving her arms over her head in an attempt to signal the two approaching women. “Hi Applejack! Hi Rarity!” she shouted at a much greater volume than was necessary to be heard by the women who had already gotten close enough to hear normal speech.

Applejack and Rarity couldn’t help but chuckle at Pinkie’s antics, their mutual friend never failing to put smiles on their faces when they needed them. “Howdy, girls,” said Applejack.

“Hey, you two!” said Twilight, putting a bookmark in her book and setting it aside. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“What took you guys so long?” said Rainbow Dash as she sat up. “We’ve been waiting for you forever!”

“Rainbow,” said Twilight flatly, “they’re only ten minutes late...which I recognize is a perfectly acceptable amount of time to be late by for an informal social gathering such as this.”

“Huzzah! She can be taught!” said Pinkie.

“Yes, I can,” said Twilight. “I know I can be a bit of a...perfectionist about these things sometimes...” Rainbow Dash stifled a snort, eliciting a sideways glance from Twilight. “But I’ve come to accept that being a bit...tardy...is not the end of the world.” While she had a smile on her face, Twilight looked as if that last bit had taken some effort to get out.

“Have a seat girls!” said Fluttershy. “I made all your favorites.”

“Ooh! So you did!” said Rarity as she eyed the delicious spread before her.

Rarity and Applejack quickly sat down and removed their shoes so as to not get dirt on the blanket. Rarity sat in a refined, ladylike position with her legs to the side of her, whereas Applejack was content to merely cross her legs. Spotting a plate of tiny finger sandwiches, Rarity quickly reached out with her dexterous fingers and snapped one up, raising it to her purple-painted lips and taking a bite. She grunted her approval as she chewed and swallowed. “Oh, Fluttershy,” she said, “these cucumber sandwiches are marvelous, as always.”

“And this peanut butter and apple jam one is delish!” said Applejack after taking a bite of a sandwich of her choosing.

“Oh, thank you,” said Fluttershy, bashfully brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I do apologize for our delay,” said Rarity. “We had...something to take care of before coming here.”

“Ooh! What kinda ‘something’?” asked Pinkie excitedly. “Was it a fun ‘something’, or a boring ‘something’? Or maybe even a sorta-fun, sorta-boring ‘something’ that you do to kill time but you end up enjoying it anyway?”

“Uh...no, just...somethin’,” said Applejack.

“They don’t have to talk about it if they don’t want to,” said Twilight.

“Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash. “Besides, what we should be talking about is how great I’m gonna do in the triathlon next week! Running, swimming, flying; I got it all locked down, thanks to these babies.” Raising her arms and flexing her biceps, she planted a quick kiss on each of them.

Rainbow Dash went on about the upcoming event, her self-confidence earning her an occasional eye roll and playful jab from the others. The conversation eventually shifted to other subjects, the six women discussing things such as their upcoming plans, how their days had been, and other lighthearted, trivial things. Before long, the natural chemistry between them had left them all smiling and giggling, all of them losing themselves in the comfy atmosphere they had created. Even Applejack, who had more reason that any of them to feel on edge at that moment, allowed herself to forget her troubles for a while and revel in the company of her closest friends.

After a particularly amusing joke from Pinkie Pie left the six of them roaring with laughter, there came a silent break in the conversation as everyone caught their breaths. Applejack, who had successfully put it out of her mind up until that point, was suddenly possessed by the motivation to address that which she had been planning to discuss with them all day long. Letting the feeling take hold of her before her trepidation overpowered it, she opened her mouth and spoke. “Girls?” she said flatly.

“Yes, Applejack?” said Twilight, smiling over at her.

“There’s somethin’ I...need to talk to y’all about,” said Applejack, doing her best to keep herself calm.

“Okay, what is it?” asked Twilight.

“Before I tell you,” said Applejack, “y’all have to promise not to tell anyone else.”

“C’mon, AJ, we’re your friends!” said Rainbow Dash. “We’re not gonna go blabbing.”

“I don’t reckon you will, but...please,” said Applejack. “It’d...make me feel better.”

The other five women exchanged quick glances, varying degrees of confusion and worry on their faces. Despite this, all of them soon raised their hands to their chests and commenced the traditional gestures that accompanied the swearing of a Pinkie promise. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” they chanted in unison.

“Now, tell us,” said Twilight, giving Applejack a comforting smile. “Whatever it is...you can tell us.”

Applejack looked around at each of her friends, seeing smiles of varying size on each of their lips. Rarity reached out and placed a hand on Applejack’s knee, squeezing it gently while giving her a supportive look. Applejack smiled back at her, then took a deep breath.

“Girls,” said Applejack, “I’m...I’m in a...a relationship.”

For a moment, all was silent, but then all at once, all of Applejack’s friends started talking at once, all except Rarity. It was difficult for Applejack to parse the rapid expressions of congratulations at her finding someone, relief at the issue presumably not being as serious as they had thought, and the inevitable questions as to who the lucky man (or woman) was. Thankfully, Rarity intervened and was able to quickly calm the others. “Girls, girls, please!” she said. “Let her finish.”

“I’m sorry, Applejack,” said Twilight when order had returned to the meadow, “but having a special somebody really isn’t something to be ashamed of.”

“That ain’t why I had you promise,” said Applejack. “I made you promise ‘cause of...who I’m in a relationship with.”

“Well...who is it?” said Fluttershy.

“It’s...it’s...” began Applejack before taking another deep breath. “It’s...Anon. It’s Anon. My brother.”

That time, the silence lasted much longer. Applejack had hung her head and squeezed her eyes shut, but she could still feel their gazes on her. She could sense their smiles slowly fading, replaced by expressions of shock, confusion, and embarrassment. She could almost see the rest of them glancing around at each other, confirming that what they had just heard had not been a trick of their imaginations. Every second seemed to pass as slowly as an hour, Applejack wholeheartedly expecting some dramatic disaster to strike at any moment.

“You...You’re in a relationship...with your brother?” said Twilight, finally breaking the silence.

Applejack gulped, her throat suddenly feeling very dry. “Yes,” she said as firmly as she could manage. “And that ain’t all. My...my sister...and my mama...they are too. We’re...all together...all of us.”

Another silence, another tortuous wait as Applejack braced for her friends’ reactions. When she could bear it no longer, she lifted her head, opened her eyes, and looked each of her friends in the face. Pinkie Pie was sitting as still as Applejack had ever seen her, her eyes wide and her jaw practically hanging down to the ground. Rainbow Dash look just as shocked, having been thrown a curveball that even an athlete such as herself could never have seen coming. Fluttershy looked like she was about to faint. Rarity had her eyes closed, her expression impassive. Twilight stared at Applejack intently, looking upon her as if she were seeing her for the first time.

“Applejack...is this true?” asked Twilight softly.

Applejack looked her in the eye, fighting the urge to cry. “Yes,” she said. “Yes it is. The four of us...aren’t just family anymore. We’re...a lot more than that. We’re...as much as four people can be to each other.”

Twilight’s gaze dropped, the most studious woman in town, for once, at a loss for an answer to the question before her. “I...I don’t know what to say,” she said. “If...that’s all true, then...”

“Then what?” said Rarity, her crisp, clear voice cutting through the air like a knife and immediately drawing all eyes to her. “So what if Applejack is in a relationship with her family members? What’s so wrong about that? Can’t you understand that she’s happy with them? Can’t you understand that they’re all happy with each other? Applejack has found not one, not two, but three people willing to love her with all of their hearts! Can’t you understand how wonderful that is?”

“Rarity,” said Twilight, attempting to interject into Rarity’s increasingly impassioned plea.

“No, Twilight!” said Rarity. “I am going to say my piece! Applejack is my friend, just like she’s your friend! If my friend has the courage to bear her soul to you about the things that make her happy, then I have a duty to stand by her!” She illustrated her point by scooching closer to Applejack, putting an arm around her, and holding her closely. “She’s found the people that make her happy! She’s found the people that she loves! And because I love her so much, I’m not going to let any of you try to keep her from them!”

“Rarity,” said Twilight, a bit more forcefully.

“What they have is beautiful!” said Rarity. “What they have is important! It’s important to them, it’s important to me, and it should be important to you too! If you don’t feel that way, then...then I don’t care! I don’t care what you have to say about it! I don’t care what the law has to say about it! I don’t care what tradition has to say about it! I don’t care what you or anyone else does! I’m going to stand by my friend, and I’m going to protect her and the people she loves from anyone who even tries to—”

“Rarity!” said Twilight loudly enough to break through the never-ending tirade.

Rarity froze, whatever passion that had seized her quickly vanishing again. She looked around at the astonished faces of her friends, slowly realizing how much of a scene she had just created. Her pale pink cheeks reddened, and she sheepishly returned to her previous position and regained her composure.

“I...do apologize,” said Rarity, clearing her throat. “I...didn’t mean to lose my temper. However, I meant what I said. I support Applejack in the life she’s chosen to live with her family. As her friends...I hope you will too.”

Applejack watched and waited as the others exchanged nervous glances, neither she nor they sure of what would happen next.

“Applejack,” said Twilight, “is...is what Rarity said true? Do you...really love them?”

Applejack hung her head, preemptively shielding herself from what she feared might be the mother of all lectures. “Yes, Twilight,” she said. “I love them. I love all three of them. I love ‘em in every way a woman can love someone.”

“And...being with them...does it make you happy?” said Twilight.

Applejack shut her eyes, feeling as if she were about to either laugh or cry. “Yes,” she said, nodding her head. “It does. They make me so happy. They make me happier than...than I’ve been in a long time.”

Applejack was surprised when she felt the gentle touch of a hand on hers. Prying her eyes open, she raised her head and looked into the face of Twilight Sparkle, who was smiling back at her. “If you’re happy,” said Twilight, squeezing Applejack’s hand, “then I’m happy.”

Now it was Applejack’s turn to be shocked and confused. “Twi...” she said.

“Rarity’s right,” said Twilight. “You’re my friend. I should want you to be happy, and I do. I can’t speak for all of us, but...if it really does make you happy to be with them like that...then I’m okay with it. I’ll admit it’s...unconventional...what you and your family are doing...”

“‘Unconventional’?” said Rainbow Dash, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” said Twilight, giving Rainbow Dash a sideways glance, “but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth respecting. Applejack, you and your family are good people, and if there’s anyone out there who has a problem with you all loving each other a little differently than other families do...then they’re gonna have to go through me.” Twilight gave Applejack a confident smile, its effect not lessened by the moisture in her eyes. “Because I’m not going to let anyone take away what makes my friend happy.”

Twilight’s words were simple and kind, but Applejack’s frazzled mind still stumbled over them as they echoed into her ears. In the blink of an eye, all of the fear and all of the worry that had been welling up inside of her suddenly exploded outward, bursting the dam of her willpower and flowing out of her like a mighty flood. So too did the flood of tears building up behind her beautiful green eyes come forth, spilling out onto her cheeks as she broke into a fit of intense sobbing. She didn’t even understand why she was doing it; she ought to be happy, and she was, but she supposed her body just needed to vent all that frustration she had forced it to hold onto.

As Applejack hung her head and allowed her body to be wracked with sobs, Twilight quickly shuffled forward and knelt next to her. Twilight threw her arms around the crying Applejack, pulling her into a hug. Applejack reflexively returned the embrace, holding the smaller woman like a lifeline and burying her face in her neck. The familiar scent of old parchment and writing ink filled Applejack’s nose, bringing a smile to her face as she continued to sob. Twilight, too, let loose a trickle of tears, although not nearly to the same extent as her friend.

When Applejack’s sobs diminished to mere whimpers, Twilight grasped her by the shoulders and gently pushed her back, looking her in the face. “Applejack,” said Twilight firmly, “I will always support you; I will always stand by you...just like you’ve always stood by me.”

“Thank you,” whispered Applejack, the only thing she could think to say. “Thank you.”

Twilight smiled at her, leaning in and giving her one more quick hug before sitting down next to her, opposite Rarity. When Applejack finally tore her eyes away from her, she looked up at the rest of her friends, hoping against hope that they would be as accepting and open-minded as Twilight. Rainbow Dash, however, appeared worryingly upset, almost angry in fact. She had her arms crossed in front of her and her face scrunched up as if she were trying to hold back a yell.

“Rainbow...” said Applejack, fearing the worst.

“I’m sorry!” Rainbow Dash blurted out. “I’m so sorry, AJ, I...” She let out a frustrated grunt and threw herself back onto the ground, covering her face with her hands. “I can’t believe how much of a jerk I’ve been! You must hate my guts.”

Of all the reactions Applejack had expected, that had not been one of them. It took her a moment to get over her initial confusion before she could formulate a sentence. “Rainbow,” she said, “wha...what in Equestria are you goin’ on about?”

Rainbow Dash scoffed as if Applejack had just said something stupid. “What do you think?” she said, pushing herself back up into a sitting position. “I’m talking about me going around acting like a dumb horndog around you and your family! All the times I’ve made passes at them! All the things I’ve said about them in front of you! I never knew all of you were together! If I’d known...I never woulda done all that stuff! You probably wanted to punch me in the face every time I opened my mouth, didn’t you?”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Applejack couldn’t help but break into a chuckle. More than that, she even went so far as to burst into hearty laughter.

“AJ, I’m serious!” said Rainbow, looking as if she were about to start crying herself. “I never woulda made moves on your family if I knew you were together! I’d never try to get with someone else’s special somebody...I mean, unless I was trying to get with both of them at once, but that’s not the point! The point is that I—”

Rainbow Dash was cut off as Applejack reached out a powerful arm, grabbed the incredibly light Rainbow Dash, and pulled her into a crushing bear hug. “Dash, you...featherbrain,” chuckled Applejack as she nuzzled Rainbow’s hair.

“Wha...What are you doing?” said Rainbow. “You should be furious with me! Why are you hugging me?”

“‘Cause I know you, you no-good little varmint,” said Applejack with a smile. “I know you’re a good person. I know how much stock you put in loyalty. I know you’d never try to come between me and them. I know I sometimes give you a hard time for bein’ such a floozie...”

“Hey!” said Rainbow.

“But I know that’s just who you are,” Applejack continued. “I’d never hate you for bein’ who you are. You’re my friend; I could never hate you.”

“So...you’re not upset that I...tried to get with your family?” asked Rainbow.

“Well, I am gonna have to ask you to cut that out,” said Applejack with a smile, “but no, I’m not upset. As long as you’re not upset about...me bein’ with ‘em.”

Rainbow Dash breathed a sigh of relief, chuckling to herself as she finally returned Applejack’s embrace. “Are you kidding?” she said. “Of course I’m not upset. You’re my bud. And...they are your family; you sorta got dibs on them.” Applejack and Rainbow chuckled together at the jest. “Say, if you’re really not mad at me...maybe sometime you guys could let me...”

“No, you can’t watch,” said Applejack flatly.

A disappointed grimace passed over Rainbow’s face for a split second before fading into a smile once again. “Ah, well,” she said. “It was worth a shot.”

The two shared one last giggle before releasing each other and facing one another again. Applejack saw a single tear trailing its way down Rainbow’s cheek, which she quickly wiped away. Rainbow scooted back and sat next to Twilight, the two of them exchanging quick smiles. Applejack’s smile faded as she remembered that there were still two unknowns sitting nearby, two more people she could not bear to live without. With some trepidation, she turned her head towards Fluttershy, who was still sitting across the blanket from her. While the timid pegasus normally had some degree of worry visible on her face, the concern Applejack saw there then had the potential to be something significant indeed, given the circumstances.

“Fluttershy?” Applejack said softly. “What do you think about all this? What do you think about...me?”

Fluttershy looked up at Applejack, seemingly considering what she wanted to say carefully. “Applejack,” she said, “to be perfectly honest...I don’t know what to think. This is all just...so much to take in.”

“I know,” said Applejack, “and I’m sorry for that. I wish there were some easier way to do this, but...I have to tell the truth. I have to be honest about this...no matter what.”

A small smile appeared on Fluttershy’s lips. “I know you do,” said Fluttershy. “That’s what I admire about you. You always have the courage to do the right thing...even when it’s hard. You’re always there to stand up for others and protect them...including me. Even now, you’re strong enough to admit something so...personal to us. Meanwhile, all I can do is just sit here, scared and confused.”

“Fluttershy...you ain’t the only one who gets scared,” said Applejack. “You ain’t the only one who gets confused. For a long time...I was scared and confused too. If I act strong, it’s only because...I don’t want others to feel that way too. I want you all to feel safe and happy, ‘cause you all make me feel safe and happy...just like my family makes me feel safe and happy.”

“I...I may not understand all of this...incest stuff, but...I do understand you, Applejack,” said Fluttershy. “I know you’re not the sort of person to rush into things. I know that...when you say something...you mean it. So when you say that you...you love your brother, you love your sister, and you love your mother...I believe you. So if you’re asking me what I think...then I think that I trust you. If you think what you have with them is worth standing up for...then I will too. For all the times you’ve stood up for me, I’m going to stand up for you too.”

With that, Fluttershy literally stood up and walked over to Applejack, dropping to her knees before her. Reaching out, she took hold of Applejack and drew her into a hug, holding her as tightly as she could. Applejack melted into the embrace, nuzzling Fluttershy’s soft hair and caressing her downy wings.

“I don’t know what good that will do though,” said Fluttershy softly. “I’m not strong, or brave, or smart like you all are.”

Applejack chuckled, holding Fluttershy closer to her. “I’d rather have you on my side than all the strongest, bravest, smartest people in the world put together,” she said.

When they parted and looked upon each other, Applejack saw that Fluttershy’s eyes were moist and her lips were quivering. Despite this, she had a smile on her face, which Applejack reciprocated. Before she could start crying, she crawled forward and sat beside Applejack, squeezing herself in between her and Rarity. Applejack looked at her, then took a moment to look at her other three friends that were sitting beside her, smiling back at her. Of course, she wouldn’t be satisfied until she had the full set. She wouldn’t be content until she had dealt with one of her oldest friends, for better or worse.

Upon turning to face Pinkie Pie, however, the glimmer of hope inside of her vanished instantly. Pinkie was sitting with her arms crossed over her chest, her head turned away from her friends and a pouty look on her face. Applejack was very much afraid to hear what she had to say, but she managed to summon the courage to find out.

“Pinkie?” said Applejack. “Is there...somethin’ you wanna say to me?”

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath, releasing it in an agitated sigh. “Applejack,” she said sternly, “how long has this been going on?”

Applejack was taken aback, but managed to force out a response. “For...for months now,” she said. “Almost a year.”

Pinkie whipped her head back around to look at Applejack, a look of profound shock on her face. “A year?” she said loudly. “You’ve been keeping this a secret for a whole year?”

Applejack was stunned. She had feared that her friends might not take her confession well, but she hadn’t expected Pinkie Pie to be the most upset by it. “P-Pinkie, I...” she began.

“Do you realize how many parties you’ve missed?” Pinkie Pie shouted, throwing her hands into the air.

The other five women collectively blinked, none of them sure of exactly what they had just heard. “Come again?” said Applejack.

Pinkie Pie, however, did not seem to notice the others’ confusion in the slightest. “I mean, if you’ve been together with your brother for almost a year, that means I missed your first month anniversary party, your second month anniversary party, your third month anniversary party...” she said, angrily counting on her fingers. Suddenly, she gasped, then slapped herself in the head. “I almost forgot about your sister and your mom! I missed all of their parties too! Now I’ll need to throw triple the number of parties! Or is it quadruple? Oh, never mind! The point is—” Pinkie jabbed her finger towards Applejack accusatively “—you have a lot of parties to make up for, missy, and I’m not gonna let you skip out on a single one of them!”

Everyone sat frozen for a few tense moments. Suddenly, the silence was broken when Applejack burst into a fit of intense laughter. Immediately after she began, the four women sitting beside her followed suit, filling the air with giggles, guffaws, chuckles, chortles, and every other kind of laughter it was possible for a group of friends to make.

Pinkie, ironically, was the only one not laughing. “What are you all laughing about?” she said, still as upset as before. “This is serious! Do you realize how much this is gonna throw off my party schedule?”

“Pinkie,” said Applejack, fighting through her laughter and the tears filling her eyes. “I’m sorry, I...I just figured that...you’d be mad about me and my family.”

Pinkie’s expression turned from anger to confusion startlingly quickly. “Mad about you and your family?” she said in a casual tone. “Why would I be mad about you guys? Oh! You mean about the whole taboo, incestuous, polyamorous relationship thing? You silly billy!” Pinkie Pie practically leaped into Applejack’s lap, wrapping her arms around her neck and hugging her tightly. “I don’t care about that! You’re one of my super-duper-bestest-friends-forever! If dating your family is what you need to do to be happy, then you have my official Pinkie approval!”

Applejack returned the embrace, burying her face in Pinkie’s poofy, candy-scented hair and chuckling heartily. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much.”

“Aww, you’re welcome!” said Pinkie. “But I’m serious about those parties.”

“Pinkie,” chuckled Applejack. “You can throw us as many parties as you want! I promise.”

“Yippee!” said Pinkie, releasing Applejack and throwing her hands into the air in triumph. “Now...group hug!”

In the blink of an eye, Pinkie Pie somehow managed to reach out and pull the other four women surrounding them into a tight huddle around Applejack. While momentarily surprised, they all quickly recovered, having long since learned to expect such lovingly aggressive acts from her. The six friends broke into laughter once again, wrapping their arms around each other and snuggling together. Right in the middle of them, Applejack reveled in the feel of five of the people she loved more than anyone else in the world holding her so tenderly. Tears of pure joy flowed from her eyes as she laughed, no longer caring to hold them back. On the inside, she was kicking herself for being so foolish as to think things ever would have turned out differently than they had.