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Imaginapple

Written by nukeiffum

There was a storm brewing all across Ponyville. Rainbow Dash and the other pegasi scheduled a surprise rainstorm today, in order to make sure that everypony would be prepared in the event of a real storm arriving from the Everfree Forest. In short, Ponyville was holding its annual surprise thunderstorm drill, which caught Sweet Apple Acres completely off-guard.

“That gosh darned Rainbow Dash!” Applejack exclaimed. “Settin’ up this here storm without issuing a warning to anypony! Why, when ah see that stripey-maned rainbow-toutin’ pegasus, ah’m gonna—”

“Now Applejack, it ain’t right to talk about a friend that way.” Big Mac interrupted.

Applejack frowned. “But Big Mac, ah was just—”

“No fightin’ Applejack.” Big Mac patted the smaller pony, causing Applejack to whimper at her older brother’s touch.

“D-don’t treat me like ah’m a filly, Big Mac!” Applejack whinnied. “Ah’m a big pony now, and ah don’t need no older brother treatin’ me like a kid!”

“If yer so mature, Applejack, how come ah caught you wanderin’ around yer old hangout?”

Applejack shrunk at the older pony’s argument. Before the storm started, Applejack decided to hang around her old treehouse for nostalgia’s sake, but Big Mac saw her and decided to tag along. Secretly of course. “W-well… that’s because ah wanted to make sure that Applebloom ain’t hangin’ out in some old deathtrap waitin’ to spring on her…”

“Ya seemed mighty ready to let Applebloom fix up this deathtrap all by herself.” Big Macintosh pointed out. “Eeeyup.”

“T-that’s because—AHH!” A large bolt of lightning struck the ground next to the treehouse, startling Applejack.

“Looks like yer still scared of thunderstorms, Applejack.” Big Mac laughed.

“A-ah will have you know, that ah am most definitely one-hundred percent not afraid of—OH DEAR CELESTIA!!” Another bolt of lightning struck the same spot outside. “W-what the hay?! Lightning ain’t supposed to strike the same place twice, ya hear?!” Applejack shouted to nopony in particular.

Big Mac chuckled. “Good ol’ Applejack, always tryin’ ta make yerself tougher than ya actually are.” Big Mac affectionately nuzzled his little sister’s mane.

“H-hey! Ah’m a little old for ya ta be doin’ that…” Applejack mumbled.

“Ah don’t see anythin’ wrong with it.” Big Mac shrugged. “Besides, since we’re stuck here for a bit, might as well act out the good ol’ days, right?”

“W-what?!” Applejack’s face flushed pink .”Y-ya mean those days? Back when ah was all… froo-froo and whatnot?”

“Eeeeeeeyup.” Big Mac said bluntly.

“No way!” Applejack objected. “Ah am definitely not gonna be all froo-froo with ya again, Big Mac! It’s embarrassing for a grown pony like me to even think about those days!”

“Aw, c’mon Applejack, it’ll be fun. Jus’ like ol’ times…”

Applejack hesitated, but Big Mac was giving her the look. The orange pony sighed in defeat. “Oh… alright then. We can play around—jus’ nothin’ too… Rarity-like.”

Big Mac smiled at his younger sister’s bashfulness. “All right, sis, why don’t ya get started?”

--

“MAN THE SPARKLE CANNON PRIVATE BIG MAC!” Captain Applejack ordered her subordinate. “It’s jus’ a matter of time before the invading nation of Canterlot will set hoof in our peaceful town of Ponyville!”

“Aye aye, cap’n.” Big Mac saluted. The stallion inserted his hooves into the mound of pillows that towered next to the window. “Enemy sightin’ at 12 o’ clock, cap’n!”

“FIRE THE CANNON. LEAVE NO ENEMY STANDING!” Applejack shouted. The orange pony pointed a rolled up newspaper like a saber, lending her order the impact she thought it needed. “I want those rainbows firing straight at the heart of the Canterlotian warship!”

“Aye aye, cap’n!” Big Mac started lightly kicking the pillows in the direction of one of the stuffed toys randomly strewn about the room.

“More energy needs ta be diverted into the cannons!” Applejack commanded. “I want the super friendship sparkle rainbow apple cannon ready to fire this instant!”

“Cap’n, ah think we’re surrounded by the enemy forces!” Big Mac bellowed. The mess of pillows knocked over some of the fabrics Sweetie Belle kept in the treehouse, making an even bigger mess of the room.

“Oh no, we’re surrounded Private!” Applejack grabbed one of the pillows and held it like a shield. “They’re firin’ on us, Big Mac! Take cover!!” The orange pony pursed her lips together. “Abrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr! PA-TOW PA-TOW PA-TOW PA-TOW! EEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee! WHOOOSHH!”

Big Mac chuckled. It’s been a while since he saw his sister so carefree and energetic, just like when she was a little filly. She was having so much fun she didn’t even notice anymore when the thunder boomed. “Watch out, cap’n! They’re a firin’ rainbows at ya!”

“What?! The Rainbow Fleet? Noooooooo!!” Applejack collapsed onto the ground. “POW POW POW POW CRASH! They got me Private, run while ya still can! Run away!”

“Ah can’t leave ya, cap’n.” Big Mac smiled. “Ah’m a part of this crew too after all.”

“B-but, the RAINBOWS!!” Applejack mourned. “How are we s’posed to have our tea party if the rainbows annihilate us all?!”

“… what in tarnation’ is goin’ on here?”

Applejack froze with a ridiculously silly expression on her face, slowly turning to the direction the voice spoke out from. Standing at the doorway was Applebloom, giving an extremely concerned look to Applejack.

“O-oh, Applebloom!!” The orange pony quickly got back up to her feet and grinned awkwardly. “Uh, um, how’s ya’ll doin’?”

“… Big Mac, is big sis losin’ her mind?” Applebloom asked.

The stallion chuckled at Applebloom’s question. “Don’ worry ‘bout it Applebloom, yer big sis and ah were jus’ relivin’ the ol’ days, that’s all.”

“… Applejack used to be a silly filly?”

“N-no! Of course not!” Applejack shouted, her voice cracking. “A-ah was jus’ gettin’ a li’l stir crazy from this storm, that’s all! Honest! R-right, Big Mac?!”

Big Mac nodded, and Applejack gave a sigh of relief.

“She was even sillier, Applejack was all about the tea parties and froo-froo back in the day.”

Applejack blushed a deep scarlet. “B-Big Mac!! How could you—no, wait, it’s not what you think Applebloom! It’s jus—”

The tiny filly started giggling at her sister’s embarrassment. “Oh big sis, don’ worry, ah won’t tell anypony that you used to be a girly froo-froo pony like Rarity!”

“AH WAS NOT!!” Applejack exclaimed.

Both Applebloom and Big Mac both burst out laughing. At first, Applejack was feeling even more embarrassed at their laughter, but soon enough, she let out a small giggle.

“Oh big sis, ah don’t care if you used ta be all froo-froo!” Applebloom smiled brightly. “It jus’ makes mah older sis that much cooler!”

Applejack grinned sheepishly. “R-really, Applebloom?”

Applebloom put a hoof to her chin. “Eh, nope, it really jus’ makes you sillier.”

The orange earth pony collapsed again in the bed of pillows, causing the other two ponies to erupt in laughter once again.

“Why you—git over here Applebloom!!” Applejack jumped back up and started ruffling the mane of her younger sister.

“Wha—noooooooo, Applejaaaaackk!!” Applebloom whined. “I just got it all fixed up too!”

“That’s what ya get for laughin’ at yer older sis!” Applejack teased.

“No faaaaaaaiiiiiirrrrrr!!”

Big Mac smiled fondly at his two sisters. Applejack sure has grown over the years, and she was no longer a filly anymore. She was old enough to tackle her own problems herself and live independently from Big Mac and the rest of the Apple family. Applebloom still had a ways to go, but Big Mac knew that she’d one day leave the family and live her own life too. They were modern ponies compared to old-fashioned Big Macintosh, and it wasn’t right to tie them down to Sweet Apple Acres. Those two should be allowed to have what they want out of life, even if it took them away from the farm.

Still, no matter how much they may grow over the years, Big Mac smiled at a single thought that kept his heart warm. No matter how old Applejack and Applebloom may have gotten, to him they’ll always be his cute little sisters.

“Eeeeeeeeeeyup.”

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