Applejack trotted in from the fields. Her legs felt weary, but she forced herself to keep walking. She had finished saying good-bye to her friends. The apple trees were bare, their fruit harvested and collected in baskets. With her friends by her side she had easily gathered the harvest. She sighed when she saw the sink full of dirty dishes. Applebloom wasn't yet old enough to do them without spilling them on the floor and Granny Smith (bless her heart) was so forgetful she often wandered away from half-eaten meals, the dirty dishes collecting on the table till either Applejack or Big Mac tended to them. She walked over to the sink and turned on the faucet. Just as she picked up a sponge she felt a nudge at her side. Big Mac was standing at her side. He stared at her, and then turned off the faucet. He then fixed her with a glare that spoke volumes.

"Nope."

Applejack sighed again. She figured this was coming. "Look, I know. I've learned my lesson. I'm overworked as is and I've made plenty o' mistakes because of it. I riled up those bunnies and they stampeded over town and I hurt RD cause I wasn't payin' attention when I was helpin' her and don't ya know I feel guilty as is about that so don't you dare go tryin' to make me feel worse cause I will buck you right in the-"

"You could have killed yourself."

The words were said with a coldness that chilled Applejack. It was a calm, simple fact calmly stated. Only someone who knew him could tell how upset he was. The clenched jaw, the controlled, swishing of his tail. Applejack restrained a fillyish instinct to gallop away and hide from her angry big brother. She still took a step back from the very large stallion.

"Yeah, I could have. I'm real sorry, I'll never do it again. What more do you want me to say?"

"You almost died cause of that silly stubbornness of yours. All cause you were too stubborn to listen when I tried to warn you."

Applejack took yet another step back. "I said I was sorry, stop yankin' my bit about this!"

Big Mac turned his head. Something glinted in the afternoon light. Applejack's eyes widened.

"Big Mac…are you cryin'?"

He blinked several times. "That ain't important."

Applejack felt like finding a hole to crawl in. And I thought I couldn't feel MORE guilty.

"I should have stopped you. I should have done something. If you had gotten hurt…I've lost too many already."

The veiled reference to their absent parents made Applejack choke up. "I…can you forgive me?" She asked, leaning into the fur of her big brother's chest.

"Eeyep." He said, softly nuzzling her. Big Mac didn't talk much. Often what he said or did carried more meaning than what appeared at face value. Applejack knew this nuzzle meant, "I'm here for you, don't ever think you're alone. I love you."

Applejack looked back towards the sink.

"Nope." Big Mac grunted.

"I need to get back to bed since I ain't slept in four days and even for an earth pony that's pushing it?"

"Eeyep." He turned around and lowered his back.

"Oh you have GOT to be kidding me."

"Nope."

She clambered onto his back and rested her head on his soft mane. His soft, comfortable mane. He carried her off to bed like when she was a filly and too tired to get there herself. She fell asleep with her face in his mane before they got to her bedroom.