Things were getting ridiculous. Now not only was Applejack ignoring him, so was Apple Bloom. The youngest sibling had made it pretty clear who’s side she was on, and it definitely wasn’t his.

Big Mac sighed and sat the last basket load of apples for the day in the barn. Applejack was still out in the field, taking her time until she knew he’d be out of the way so they didn’t run into each other.

Family suppers were done in silence now, thirty minutes of forks and knives scraping loudly against plates and glasses being set down harder than need be.

Mac was mostly past his anger now, it was more of a simmering aggravation at this point. He wanted to talk to his sister but every time he made his mind up to do it, he remembered the night with Rainbow Dash and decided against it. He wasn’t sure he could make it through a conversation with Applejack without losing his temper, but he couldn’t live in silence in his own home anymore.

Closing the red door behind him, he made his way back to the house and saw Apple Bloom sitting on the porch swing, writing something in a notebook. She looked up as he walked up the steps but quickly averted her gaze when she saw who it was.

Pausing for a moment, he greeted her. “Hey Bloom.”

She ignored him and continued writing.

“Y’never gonna talk t’me again?”

Stopping her work, she glared at him. “Not ‘til you pull that stick outta your butt and apologize to Applejack.”

“Apple Bloom!” Big Mac scolded, “that ain’t no way t’talk! I outta get Granny t’wash your mouth out with soap ‘til y’know how to speak without that attitude.”

“Yeah yeah, go tell on me t’Granny Smith, I don’t care.”

Shaking his head, Mac decided against saying anything else in case it was something he’d regret later and walked through the front door, slamming it shut.

“Damn teenagers,” he mumbled, making his way through the house and up the stairs to his bedroom.

Pulling his shoes off, he leaned against his dresser and rubbed his tired eyes. He never realized how exhausting it was living with a house full of women until they were all angry at the same time. It was grating on his nerves.

Deciding that he’d feel better after a long, hot shower, he pulled some clean clothes out of a drawer and crossed the hallway to the bathroom he and his sisters shared.

Taking his time under the spray of warm water, Mac thought about recent events. Namely the predicament he was currently in with his family.

Despite what his siblings thought at the moment, he did love Applejack with all his heart. He was just disappointed in her choices, and if he had to admit, which he wouldn’t, he was a tiny bit disappointed in himself.

Ever since Rainbow Dash had come over, doubt had been gnawing at the back of his mind. What if she was right? What if all she’d said was true and Applejack confided in her best friend instead of him because she knew what he’d say? She couldn’t talk to her brother who’d she’d been through thick and thin with because he’d abandon her?

And what about Granny Smith? That’s what really got at him. How could he turn his back on his grandmother who’d raised him since he was thirteen? Surely someone that had cared for them for so long wouldn’t cast out their own like they were nothing.

But… family stuck together no matter what. Even with all the talks Granny gave them growing up about sticking up for each other, she had ditched Applejack pretty quick. And so had he.

Turning the knobs off, Mac toweled off and made up his mind to talk to his sister. Maybe she would listen and they could fix this.

Throwing his clothes on, he walked out, a steamy trail following him as he stepped up to Applejack’s door and knocked before he could change his mind. He hoped she was in there and not still out in the fields, she had been almost done when he finished.

“Come in!” a muffled female voice answered shortly after.

He twisted the knob and pushed the wooden door open. Applejack was sitting on her bed, looking at her cell phone with a goofy smile on her face. He figured it was from her girlfriend. She was one of the only people who could get her to grin like that.

It fell as soon as she saw who was in the doorway. “Oh. It’s you. What do you want?”

“Can… can we talk a minute?”

“Why? You said what y’had t’say the other night,” she replied snappily.

“Please, just let me say what I came in here t’say and I’ll leave you alone if y’want.”

She stared at him at moment before sighing. “Fine.”

“Ever since your, uh, you know, came over,” Mac weakly started, earning a raised eyebrow from the blonde, “I’ve been thinkin’. Maybe my reaction was a bit strong.”

Applejack snorted rudely, but stayed silent.

“I just… AJ, please try t’understand how hard this is for me-”

His jaw snapped shut as his sister’s face turned red and she slowly stood up, glaring daggers at him.

“Hard on you? Hard on you?! Don’t make me laugh, Big Macintosh! Do y’have any damn clue what I’ve been goin’ through this last month?! I’m an outcast in my own house! The only one who acts like I don’t have the plague is Apple Bloom, otherwise everyone avoids me!

“I hate livin’ like this, knowin’ what everyone thinks of me. I’m gross and sinful and infected, and I can see it on yours and Granny’s faces every time I walk by. I never would’a thought I’d ever feel so alone. It hurts, Mac, so much. My heart aches every time I see you and Granny Smith, because y’all’re who I used to go to for support and now I ain’t got no one. But, please, tell me again how hard this is on you.”

“I-I had no idea it was that bad. I guess I never really stopped t’think about how everythin’ was affectin‘ you.”

“No… Really?” Applejack said sarcastically.

“Y’know, I’ve been thinkin’ a lot about what Miss Rainbow said, especially the part about what Granny believes bein’ ingrained into my head after all these years. It’s just hard t’think that someone as wise about the world as she is could be wrong. After all, she’s been around a lot longer than any of us. Maybe I just didn’t want t’believe that she wasn’t right because she’s someone I trust and I didn’t think she’d steer me wrong.”

“Just because she’s our grandmother doesn’t mean she’s right about everythin’. I know it’s hard t’disagree with her, obviously, but sometimes she just ain’t right about things. ‘Specially on matters of the heart.”

“I… I just want everythin’ to go back to the way it was. Now this house is a war zone and I feel like I’m standin’ in the middle of it, bein’ forced to take a side.”

“It’s never gonna be the same Mac. I ain’t gonna cover up who I am anymore just to make my family happy. All I can do is hope that y’all come around and learn to accept me for who I am. And if not? Well, I’ll see y’all on the flip side.”

Big Mac looked down and nodded. “I wish I was as sure ‘bout myself as you are.”

Stepping forward, Applejack put a hand on his shoulder.

“Things like this take time. I dunno what you’ve got goin’ on in that noggin of yours here lately, but don’t rush anything. And find someone you can talk to. That‘ll help to clear your thoughts.”

Mac gave a weak smile. “Y’sure you just don’t wanna change your mind ‘bout the whole bein’ gay thing?”

“Nope, I think I’ve made my decision,” she replied.

“Well, I better head downstairs and help Granny with supper. She’ll be hollerin’ up the stairs in a minute wonderin’ where everyone’s at.”

Excusing himself, Mac stepped out of his sister’s room and sighed deeply. That was more talking than they’d done since they had last gotten into a fight, and while it wasn’t the happiest conversation, he felt better having had it. Maybe they were finally on the road to amending fences so that they could be brother and sister again like they used to. With that thought, he made his way downstairs to help his grandmother with dinner.