http://elric225.deviantart.com/#/d37q2pc

hand me downs
by ~elric225

Applejack leaned against the golden delicious tree. Exhausted from running and crying, trying to catch her breath and dry her tears. This wasn't how she expected today to go, she had just gotten her cutey mark! But no, as she trotted away from the tree, and the high-noon sun beat upon her naked head, her cutey mark was barely a concern.

As applejack wandered the orchards, she heard the baritone voice of her older brother calling out for her. she had no intentions of letting him find her however, he being the one to start this whole mess with his news...she kept running, and the voice died away, as did her stamina. She must have been turned around at some point, because she found herself right back at the golden delicious tree, overlooking the orchards and the farm...tired, she lay down beneath the canopy and started to cry again.

Beams of dawns light broke through the canopy, shining onto applejacks face and rousing her awake. As she began to stand up she felt tired, hungry and cold...again, not a good way to start a new stage of life. she was about to shake it off and make her way home when she heard a familiar snoring...turning around slowly, she saw her big brother, propped up and sleeping against the tree with his hat pulled over his eyes. With her eyes widened out of shock, she felt her mane and- no! Her ribbon! In anger, applejack charged her sibling, head-butting him in the chest.

Abruptly shaken awake, big mac tumbled over, groaning as his legs kicking wildly for a few seconds before he wakes up proper. Applejack wasn't completely heartless however, and gives big mac a second to get up before railing on him.
"How could you even suggest me gettin rid of moms ribbon?!"
"You wouldn't be gettin rid of it, but you got your cutey mark now...it's time to give it to apple bloom"
"Why should I? It's all I have left of mom..." she shouts back as tears began to well in her eyes.
"You got your memories, apple bloom doesn't"
"Apple bloom can't even remember mom!" she replies quickly, defending her right to keep the ribbon.
"Then she deserves it more than you...look AJ, that ribbons been goin from mare to mare in our family since we can remember, do you wanna be remembered as the pony who breaks that?"
Applejack closed her eyes in frustration, crying for a few moments before she felt a weight on her head. She opened her bloodshot eyes and saw she was in the shade...she peered up, and saw big mac had put hi- no, their fathers hat on her head.
"Tell ya what, you keep the hat, and apple bloom gets the ribbon"
"But, but...this is pappys hat! He gave it to you!"
"Well, I don't think he's in any position to judge my decisions"


An entire day has passed since Applejack had run away, and the sun was hanging high in the sky when she returned. Big Mac lead his sister to the living room, where Apple Bloom was playing with a pair of little dolls. Nudging her forward was Big Macs last part in this little ritual, then he backed off so AJ could take over. With a small tremble in her voice..."Apple bloom? I got a present for you" the little filly looked up from her toys, a smile spreading over her face and she carefully got up, anxious for whatever it was. "what is it? What is it?" second thoughts slowed her hoof, but in the end she did the right thing, and presented the red-pink ribbon to her little sister. "ooh, pretty!" the baby girl exclaimed! "can you tie it for me? I still don't know how..." she asked, and plopped down with her mane facing her older sister. The room was silent for a few minutes, as Applejack weaved the ribbon through her sisters hair, tears slowly rolling down her face from the amount of emotions rolling around inside her until Apple bloom obliviously broke the silence "why are you wearing Big Macs hat?" "he gave it to me..." "why?" Apple bloom asked in that infuriating way children tend to do. "because he loves me, he loves you too." A few seconds of thinking clanked through Apple blooms head, before she replied "so you love me?" with a smile, Applejack finished tying the ribbon, and told her little sister, "yes, i love you very much..." Apple bloom got up and looked at herself in the mirror, satisfied with the ribbon in her mane she turned to her big sister and thanked her. "thanks sis! I love you too!" giving her a warm hug before returning to her dolls.