You're Still the One I'm After (all these years)

chapter 6: simple ways

"Applebloom, come on- stop walking away from me!"

After Applejack had spotted Applebloom practically making out with the girl who used to bully her sister, she'd already been staring for far too long.

Applebloom had shifted her gaze to the right slightly, only to see the blonde standing a few feet away from the door, eyes wide and jaw hung open in disbelief. First Sunset Shimmer, and now this? Had everyone turned over a new leaf in the years that she was gone?

"You don't get to tell me what to do anymore!" her sister calls back, walking down the stairs while Applejack follows her.

"I just wanna talk!" Applejack explains, because she knew things would have changed when she came back, but she didn't imagine this much change. "You never told me you were dating-"

"You're right- I didn't," Applebloom snaps, looking at her angrily, "I know you're still my big sis no matter what, but you left. So you don't got a say in what I do no more."

"Applebloom, please listen-"

"No!" Her sister exclaims, and the blonde hears the girl's voice break for just a moment. "You listen. You leave and don't say anything to us for seven years. Then you come back and act like everything's gonna go back to the way things were before? It don't work like that!"

"I had to leave!" Applejack tells her, wanting to explain everything but not knowing how. "I couldn't just stay here where-"

"- they were my parents too, Applejack! You, me, Big Mac.." Applebloom trails off, voice a bit softer than it was just a few moments ago. "We were all still grieving, and what did you do? You packed up and left."

"When they died I was lost. I couldn't stay, and once I'd already left I was too ashamed to come back."

Her sister wipes the dampness of her cheeks with her sleeve. "We needed you, Applejack.. Granny was in shock and Big Mac was barely keepin' it together. I was nine."

"I thought.. I thought you'd all be okay. I thought you were old enough that you wouldn't need someone creeping over your shoulder all the time," Applejack nearly whispers, only now realizing how wrong she'd been- about everything.

"I needed my sister!" Applebloom cries, and wiping her tears with her sleeve was useless now, since more began to roll down her face as she lashes out with anger and pain. "I woke up that morning and you were just gone. No goodbye, no nothin'. You left just like Ma and Pa!"

At that point Applejack just moves forward with purpose-

one step

two.

Until she's close enough to wrap her arms around her sister.

Applebloom tries to squirm her way out but gives up soon after, falling limp and crying hard into the blonde's chest, "don't leave us again.."

Applejack wants to respond with an 'i promise', but that would be a lie.

                ____________________

After that night, her relationship with Applebloom isn't completely healed- it wouldn't be for a long time, and she knew that; but it was a step in the right direction.

There were no longer any hidden grudges after they'd laid everything out in the open. Now the process of mending their relationship could properly begin, and Applejack couldn't be more relieved.

Currently, it had only been a couple days since she'd arrived back in Parisville, and since the little get together she had with her friends, she actually hadn't seen them for the past few days. Everyone was busy getting the town ready for the Parisville Day Ceremony.