Post by starlight on Jun 2, 2013 16:00:43 GMT -5
[[NB: Unofficial Applejack is unofficial. But also Applejack.]]
[[Scene opens in a cafe in Ponyville Market.]]
Scootaloo grins, taking a slurp of her coke when it arrives. "Oh yeah?" she says with a nod. "This looks like something us Crusaders could use. What're you thinking of building? Oh, oh! We could totally extend the clubhouse out. We could end up with a whole CLUB MANSION." Scootaloo can see it now, violet eyes glimmering in delight. "Cutie Mark Towers".
Apple Bloom stares at Scootaloo. She must have fgorgotten. "Better! Th'Crusader! Ah'm buildin' th'Crusader there!" Soon the Cutie Mark Crusaders will be able to take to the skies and go to places that until then they can only dream of.
Scootaloo grins, "Right, but we were gonna do that *anyway*. There's heaps of other stuff we can build." *slurrrp.* "Can't wait 'til we have the airship. I've heard there's this new girl in town who's a proper adventurer, like Daring Do. Maybe we should try and get in touch with her?"
With a good mornings start on the farm work, Mac has decided it's time to take a bit of a break, and by break, he obviously means a stroll into ponyville. Of course, no stroll would be in order if he wasn't pulling a cart full of apple barrels behind him. You can tell hes taking a break as it's /only/ full 3/4 the way full of a maximum load. The deep rumbling can be heard through the streets as the big draft stallion makes his way into the market.
"Oh yeah? Y'all think so?" Apple Bloom aspires to be an adventurer, herself. Very much in the lines of thwarting a bad guy and furthering the cause of knowledge and justice! "Th'airship is gonna--" Apple Bloom stops and blinks, feeling the rumbling.
"Yeah, I heard she's got a magic compass that takes her--" Scootaloo also stops as she hears the rumbling from outside. "Hey, is that..." Turning her head, she spots Big Mac and her suspicions are comfirmed. "Big Mac," she says with a grin. "I wonder what he knows about adventures? Quick, go get him!"
The rumbling slows and stops outside the cafe along with the big red stallion. Outside he unhitches himself and makes his way around back to drop the gate and heft out a heaping barrel of apples as if it were a basket to any other pony. With heavy hoofsteps he makes his way into the cafe, pausing as he spots Bloom and her friend. "H'lo y'all." he says cheerfully.
"Hey Big Mac! ARe y'all makin' rounds with th'apples? ... T'sell 'em? ... ... ... Fer money?" Why does Apple Bloom see fit to clarify this? Who knows? Nopony does. She had a very brief, failed stint at selling apples.
"Hey, Mac!" says Scootaloo with a grin, waving at the draft stallion before... peering at Apple Bloom, bemused. "No, he's there to chuck the apples at ponies. So Mac, what's up? We were just talking about our plans for building the Crusader and we were wondering if there are any ideas you could give us for adventuring?" It's a bit of an odd question to jump on the stallion, but that's Scootaloo for you.
Big Mac tips his head to his sister and her friend in greeting, smiling a little. "Eeyup!" he says to Bloom as he passes, making his way almost imediately into the back room where a 'THUMP' is heard, likely the barrel hitting the floor before the large draft stallion emerges again, where Scootaloo is still rambling a little. Though, it seems the draft stallion has caught most of what she's said. Good hearing or just thin walls? Who knows. "Eenope... y'all know ah've barely left th' farm, right?" he chuckles, commenting on the adventuring tips.
At that moment, because sometimes coincidences are like that, Applejack trots in the front door. Two small kegs are in a harness around her middle, and she chuckles when she hears Scootaloo ask Mac - of all ponies! - about adventuring! "Ah think y'all're askin' th' wrong pony there, Scoots. Mac here needs a nightlight if'n he gets more'n a few miles away from Sweet Apple Acres."
"Yeah, ah know." Apple Bloom says glumly. Her sister's been on plenty of adventures, though. But she perhaps spends more time worrying about Apple Bloom than actually encouraging her. "It's alrawt, Big Mac. Ah know y'all prefer th'quawt lawf. But surely y'all had *some* point in yer lawf where y'all rebelled against mom an' dad when they were alwv."
When they were alive? Scoots remembers suddenly the state of the Apple siblings, and her hoof tightens instinctively around the youngest's shoulder, hugging her slightly. She lets her guard down, whereas normally she wouldn't be caught dead hugging. "What about you, Applejack?" she asks, looking over at the older mare.
Applejack walks up to the table and had been about to ruffle Apple Bloom's mane - in the most embarrassing way possible, naturally - when the fillies dropped that bombshell of a question. And when that dropped, so did her expression, and she puts her hoof back down. "Uh. When they were alive, Ah was still a little filly. Littler than y'all. Ah didn't REBEL as such, but Ah did... try things from time t' time." She looks at Mac with a wistful smile. "How many times'd Daddy have t' come get me from th' Everfree before Ah learned m'lesson? Ah think Ah lost count."
Big Mac pauses and gives a tip of his head as Apple Jack arrives just in time to catch the last bit of the conversation. With his eyes closed in a cheerful expression he nods, letting out a familiar "EEYu.." though its cut short at the jab made by his sister, which earns her a bit of a look from the big stallion who then raises his head and humphs, looking proud and stallionly. He's no coward stallion! he just knows where he's comfy. Looking to 'Bloom, he chuckles "Ah jus' know where ah'm needed most." he says matter of factly.
Apple Bloom hugs Scoot. She never knew them. She was still a tiny foal when it happened. "Sorry. Sorry." Apple Bloom should have known better than to bring that up. "Mah point is, didn't y'all ever do anythin' that didn't agree with them?"
Scootaloo presses her muzzle against the top of Apple Bloom's head and nuzzles gently, offering her friend what comfort she can. She decides just to listen for now, feeling a little out of place. She also feels a bit like she's intruding something personal, so she takes another sip of her cola and just hugs Apple Bloom tight.
Big Mac Shakes his head lightly to Bloom. "Not really. Ah knew ah' was needed on th' farm." he says "Though ah have dug more 'n a few holes in a field when ah wasn't suppose t'" he says sheepishly, and gives a shoulder bump to his eldest sister. "B'sides, ah had a lil' sister t' help look after." he says grinning, trying to lighten the mood of things. Definitely with a positive note, at least as far as he was concerned. He might have had to put his family first over any aspirations to explore or make his mark in the world, but it doesn't seem he'd have changed a thing.
Oh good heavens. Apple Bloom *knows* she's in trouble when the most rebellion seen by her kin was VISITING FAMILY IN MANEHATTAN and DIGGING HOLES. She faceplants on the table, mere inches from her hay fries. She's doomed! She loves her family but *goodness* they like the quiet life too much for Apple Bloom's tastes.
Applejack staggers slightly. Normally she can take Big Mac's affectionate thumpings, but now she's kid of top-heavy with the sloshing kegs. She nods. "Th' main things Ah remember 'bout bein' yer age is learnin' how t' take care o' th' trees, an'... an' Mac learnin' t' take care of *us*. You'n'me, AB. 'Course, that was after. Did Ah ever tell y'all WHY Ah went t' Manehattan? Come to think of it, Ah ain't rightly sure Ah ever even told Mac an' Granny."
Scootaloo feels really out of place. Uncomfy. She knows how close the Apples are, and being the single careless daughter of a weather engineer and, well, whoever her mom was, she's never had that sibling relationship. Apart from with Dash, but... she hasn't even known Dash forever. She chomps her fries silently, going unusualy quiet.
Big Mac reaches a hoof out and gives Apple Bloom a pat on the shoulder as she faceplants into the table. If he didn't know better, he'd /almost/ think she were adopted.. almost. "Somepony had t' dig th' boulders out o' the fields." he grins, puffing his chest out a little, proud of the good work he did, even if he chose to do so at an inconvenient time when he was younger. Using his other hoof, he reaches it out to place it on Applejack, helping steady her after his bump and leaving the stallion looking a bit sheepish. He shakes his head lightly to AJ at her recounting of not recounting telling /why/ she wanted to go to manehatten. He does remember the emotions that ran high in the family through the period of time she was gone, however.
Noticing Scootaloo looking awkward, Mac takes a moment to slip back into the back room and sneak one of the apples from the barrel, returning to slide it across the table to Scootaloo. Apples always cheer him up!
Worse: DIGGING HOLES BECAUSE IT WAS HELPFUL. Apple Bloom sits back up. "Y'all two are mah family and ah love y'all. But y'all don't know jack about breakin' no rules." Apple Bloom finally says. She does, however, regard Applejack curiously. Maybe there's hope after all.
Applejack takes a deep breath. "Well... if'n y'all promise not t'laugh... When Ah was little, Ah used t'want t'be a performer. Singin', actin', an' so on." She regards each of you challengingly, DARING anypony to snigger. "Ah went t'Manehattan 'cause Ah wanted t' take a crack at gettin' in one o' their Broadhay shows. Or off-Broadhay. Whatever." She looks out a nearby window for a moment. in the distance, apple trees can be seen on the rolling hills. "Ah used t'want that more'n anythin'. Used to. When th' rainboom came, it reminded me of what REALLY matters, an' that back home Ah'd just up an' left mah young brother an' old granny t' take care of a huge farm an' a tiny foal all by their lonesome." She looks back and smiles at AB. "Ah couldn't leave y'all. So Ah came home."
Well... that's a little closer to rebellion. Sort of. Though going of to Manehattan to be a star isn't exactly new or shocking to the filly. "Well, okay, y'all git a pass. But ah swear, Big Mac, y'all better do somethin' rebellious some day'r ah'll just think yer a nerd!" Well... as nerdy as a ginormous draft stallion who can move houses can be.
Scootaloo earperks as the apple rolls across the table, and Scoots looks up, swiping a strand of mane from her eyes and smiling at Mac. For now, she listens to AJ's story and sits quietly. She's never really broken any rules her dad has set her. They break them together, as a team. She doesn't think she *could* disobey her dad and run off... but she isn't likely to admit that.
Big Mac grins lightly to Bloom. "Tell that t' our parents when ah was goin' after a rock 10' underground." he chuckles, hinting at him knowing something his parents didn't at the time. "B'sides, ah 'know 'n appleJACK 'bout breakin' rules." he says lightly and quiets down for AJ to tell her story, his smile growing as he listens to his sister speak, giving a good nod of his head and a big loving hoof hug around his sisters shoulders. Making sure to help her keep her balance too, of course. His brow furrows lightly at Apple Bloom and grins. "Ah reckon ah'll start by diggin' holes in our empty field an' plantin' a crop." he mildly threatens, though the smirk on his muzzle may hint hes not /entirely/ serious. Noticing the perk in mood by Scootaloo, Mac gives the filly a little wink.
Applejack scratches her head. "Ah dunno, sugarcube. Rebellion's kinda hard t'do when yer rules are th' laws o' nature. If'n we didn't do th' right things at th' right times, th' crop could fail, and we-all'd be in a terrible sorry state come winter. There's a big ol' difference between riskin' gettin' grounded, an' riskin' starvin'." She pauses a moment and shares a look with Big Macintosh. "But Ah tell you what... Ah'm glad y'all DON'T know th' difference yet." She turns slightly to show the Crusaders the apples on her rump. "These marks, they ain't our desires, sugarcube. They're our destinies. Yers ain't written yet, an' Ah hope, Ah really do, that it's somethin' y'all really want."
[[ At this point, Scootaloo was called away and had to drop from the scene. ]]
Of *course* Apple Bloom knows the difference. She does something roughly once a week that is BOUND to make Big Mac go gray early. "Ah really hope mah cutie mark has somethin' t'do with adventurin'. That's what ah want."
Big Mac nods deeply to Applejack, taking a half step toward AJ. "Eeyup." he chimes in to her perspective on breaking rules with farming and there being little gray erea in between. Smiling, he reaches out a hoof to ruffle Apple Bloom's mane. "Y'all jus' gotta let it happen." he adds with a reassuring smile.
Applejack blinks at that and leans her head towards Mac. "Uh. Y'all sure y'wanna tell her that? AB ain't exactly lackin' fer, uh, ENTHUSIASM, in this here respect."
Apple Bloom drinks her cider... munches a few fries. "Hey, uh.... kin ah have th'abandoned east orchards cleared?" Apple Bloom finally asks.
Big Mac chuckles to Applejack and nods. "Ah'm sure it won't do any harm. 'Tis jus' the truth. Sometimes y' have less control over 'yer mark than y' might think, tha's all." he clarifies with a smile until AB's question, causing his expression to fade slightly. "Ah reckon y' 'kin make use of some of it 'fer th' time bein' Whatch'all think AJ?" he asks, getting his sisters input as well.
Applejack frowns slightly. "Wellll... It's true it'll be a couple more winters before we can use th' fields, after th' blight..." She looks at Mac and nods slowly. "Ah reckon it's safer t'know where she's doin' th' whatever it is she's doin', at least we can keep an eye on it, right?" Pause. Thought. Decision. Applejack nods to Apple Bloom. "All right, sugar. We'll clear it out for ya. Might have t' wait 'til we're done prunin', but... yes."
Applejack blinks. "What ARE y'all doin' there, exactly?"
"Good. 'Cause that's where ah wanna build mah airship." Apple Bloom says. "Y'all reckon a hangar is lawk a big... big barn?" She *has* done her research. At least on the airship side of things. She's always been mechanically inclined, but she learned over the course of her studies and research how airships work and are built. Too bad she didn't put too much thought into where airships typically spend their time when not in the air.
Big Mac raises a hoof and chuckles lightly, giving a little shake of his head as AJ speaks, letting her finish before interrupting. "Ah reckon she 'kin use it, but ah reckon /she/ is gonna be th' one t' clear it." he says rather sternly. He knows how busy he is with the farm work they have without adding on the extra work of clearing another field. "'course, tha doesn't mean ah can't an' won't help from time t' time." he aadds, smiling a little. If she really wants this, he reckons it's something shes going to have to earn with hard work.
Applejack nods to Mac. "Yer right, pest season's right on prunin' season's tail. We can show her what t' DO, though." Then she looks baffled at the PURPOSE the field will be put to. "Ah... ain't rightly sure... uh... Maybe this ain't such a good idea, Mac. Airships ain't exactly th' sort of thing that says 'SAFE' t'me, so..." She pauses, catching sight of Apple Bloom's hopeful expression, and her blank flank. AJ glances briefly at her own apple mark, then turns back to Bloom and smiles gently. "Ah think y'all should go talk t' Twilight. Ah bet she has a book all about how t' build the best airships ever."
"Oh, ah already got how t'build th'airship, and even got th'engine desawn finished. It's just a matter of... uh... *where* ah'm buildin' th'Crusader. Ah was hopin at th'farm so it could be lawk part o'the acres." Then Apple Bloom gasps in realization. "SAaaaaaaay! Ah know a GREAT way t'sell some apples! How about ah flaw it around with some advertawsin' on it fer th'apples?"
Big Mac chuckles to Applejack and nods. "Eeyup." he says with her thoughts on the work seasons and how they fall rather quickly on the tail of others this time of year. "Could be dangerous, but ah reckon with a close on on 'er and some professional help b'fore she takes it out, th' hard work would do 'er well." he says, figuring it will either become too much work for 'Bloom or if shes /really/ serious about this, help her build some character by going after something she wants.
Applejack chuckles softly. "Ah reckon it would, big brother. 'Captain Bloom' has a mighty fine ring to it, wouldn't y'say?"
Then Applejack does what she was stopped from earlier: giving Apple Bloom's mane the ruffling of a lifetime!
"Captain?" Apple Bloom echos. That sounds a little weird to her. Captain? Nah... she'll just be Apple Bloom of the Crusader, maybe. She stands up and feels more pumped up. "Ah should git t'work!"
Big Mac nods deeply to Applejack with a smile. "Might fit jus' nice. Only way t' find out!" he chuckles as he leans in to give both sisters a group hug. or rather, he puts his hooves around both of them at the same time. "Ah reckon y' should. Th' field wont clear itself." he grins and releases both of his sisters.
Applejack chuckles. "Ah think we all should, sugarcube. This here brandy ain't gonna deliver itself, neither - no matter HOW strong Granny done made it this time." She gives Apple Bloom a quick hug and walks toward the door. "Ah'll see y'all back at th' house fer supper. Ah think Granny's makin' stuffed peppers, and Ah wouldn't wanna miss that." She pauses and looks back with a smile. "Not fer all th' lights on Broadhay." Then she's gone, presumably to deliver to whatever's left of the Meadery.
[[Scene opens in a cafe in Ponyville Market.]]
Scootaloo grins, taking a slurp of her coke when it arrives. "Oh yeah?" she says with a nod. "This looks like something us Crusaders could use. What're you thinking of building? Oh, oh! We could totally extend the clubhouse out. We could end up with a whole CLUB MANSION." Scootaloo can see it now, violet eyes glimmering in delight. "Cutie Mark Towers".
Apple Bloom stares at Scootaloo. She must have fgorgotten. "Better! Th'Crusader! Ah'm buildin' th'Crusader there!" Soon the Cutie Mark Crusaders will be able to take to the skies and go to places that until then they can only dream of.
Scootaloo grins, "Right, but we were gonna do that *anyway*. There's heaps of other stuff we can build." *slurrrp.* "Can't wait 'til we have the airship. I've heard there's this new girl in town who's a proper adventurer, like Daring Do. Maybe we should try and get in touch with her?"
With a good mornings start on the farm work, Mac has decided it's time to take a bit of a break, and by break, he obviously means a stroll into ponyville. Of course, no stroll would be in order if he wasn't pulling a cart full of apple barrels behind him. You can tell hes taking a break as it's /only/ full 3/4 the way full of a maximum load. The deep rumbling can be heard through the streets as the big draft stallion makes his way into the market.
"Oh yeah? Y'all think so?" Apple Bloom aspires to be an adventurer, herself. Very much in the lines of thwarting a bad guy and furthering the cause of knowledge and justice! "Th'airship is gonna--" Apple Bloom stops and blinks, feeling the rumbling.
"Yeah, I heard she's got a magic compass that takes her--" Scootaloo also stops as she hears the rumbling from outside. "Hey, is that..." Turning her head, she spots Big Mac and her suspicions are comfirmed. "Big Mac," she says with a grin. "I wonder what he knows about adventures? Quick, go get him!"
The rumbling slows and stops outside the cafe along with the big red stallion. Outside he unhitches himself and makes his way around back to drop the gate and heft out a heaping barrel of apples as if it were a basket to any other pony. With heavy hoofsteps he makes his way into the cafe, pausing as he spots Bloom and her friend. "H'lo y'all." he says cheerfully.
"Hey Big Mac! ARe y'all makin' rounds with th'apples? ... T'sell 'em? ... ... ... Fer money?" Why does Apple Bloom see fit to clarify this? Who knows? Nopony does. She had a very brief, failed stint at selling apples.
"Hey, Mac!" says Scootaloo with a grin, waving at the draft stallion before... peering at Apple Bloom, bemused. "No, he's there to chuck the apples at ponies. So Mac, what's up? We were just talking about our plans for building the Crusader and we were wondering if there are any ideas you could give us for adventuring?" It's a bit of an odd question to jump on the stallion, but that's Scootaloo for you.
Big Mac tips his head to his sister and her friend in greeting, smiling a little. "Eeyup!" he says to Bloom as he passes, making his way almost imediately into the back room where a 'THUMP' is heard, likely the barrel hitting the floor before the large draft stallion emerges again, where Scootaloo is still rambling a little. Though, it seems the draft stallion has caught most of what she's said. Good hearing or just thin walls? Who knows. "Eenope... y'all know ah've barely left th' farm, right?" he chuckles, commenting on the adventuring tips.
At that moment, because sometimes coincidences are like that, Applejack trots in the front door. Two small kegs are in a harness around her middle, and she chuckles when she hears Scootaloo ask Mac - of all ponies! - about adventuring! "Ah think y'all're askin' th' wrong pony there, Scoots. Mac here needs a nightlight if'n he gets more'n a few miles away from Sweet Apple Acres."
"Yeah, ah know." Apple Bloom says glumly. Her sister's been on plenty of adventures, though. But she perhaps spends more time worrying about Apple Bloom than actually encouraging her. "It's alrawt, Big Mac. Ah know y'all prefer th'quawt lawf. But surely y'all had *some* point in yer lawf where y'all rebelled against mom an' dad when they were alwv."
When they were alive? Scoots remembers suddenly the state of the Apple siblings, and her hoof tightens instinctively around the youngest's shoulder, hugging her slightly. She lets her guard down, whereas normally she wouldn't be caught dead hugging. "What about you, Applejack?" she asks, looking over at the older mare.
Applejack walks up to the table and had been about to ruffle Apple Bloom's mane - in the most embarrassing way possible, naturally - when the fillies dropped that bombshell of a question. And when that dropped, so did her expression, and she puts her hoof back down. "Uh. When they were alive, Ah was still a little filly. Littler than y'all. Ah didn't REBEL as such, but Ah did... try things from time t' time." She looks at Mac with a wistful smile. "How many times'd Daddy have t' come get me from th' Everfree before Ah learned m'lesson? Ah think Ah lost count."
Big Mac pauses and gives a tip of his head as Apple Jack arrives just in time to catch the last bit of the conversation. With his eyes closed in a cheerful expression he nods, letting out a familiar "EEYu.." though its cut short at the jab made by his sister, which earns her a bit of a look from the big stallion who then raises his head and humphs, looking proud and stallionly. He's no coward stallion! he just knows where he's comfy. Looking to 'Bloom, he chuckles "Ah jus' know where ah'm needed most." he says matter of factly.
Apple Bloom hugs Scoot. She never knew them. She was still a tiny foal when it happened. "Sorry. Sorry." Apple Bloom should have known better than to bring that up. "Mah point is, didn't y'all ever do anythin' that didn't agree with them?"
Scootaloo presses her muzzle against the top of Apple Bloom's head and nuzzles gently, offering her friend what comfort she can. She decides just to listen for now, feeling a little out of place. She also feels a bit like she's intruding something personal, so she takes another sip of her cola and just hugs Apple Bloom tight.
Big Mac Shakes his head lightly to Bloom. "Not really. Ah knew ah' was needed on th' farm." he says "Though ah have dug more 'n a few holes in a field when ah wasn't suppose t'" he says sheepishly, and gives a shoulder bump to his eldest sister. "B'sides, ah had a lil' sister t' help look after." he says grinning, trying to lighten the mood of things. Definitely with a positive note, at least as far as he was concerned. He might have had to put his family first over any aspirations to explore or make his mark in the world, but it doesn't seem he'd have changed a thing.
Oh good heavens. Apple Bloom *knows* she's in trouble when the most rebellion seen by her kin was VISITING FAMILY IN MANEHATTAN and DIGGING HOLES. She faceplants on the table, mere inches from her hay fries. She's doomed! She loves her family but *goodness* they like the quiet life too much for Apple Bloom's tastes.
Applejack staggers slightly. Normally she can take Big Mac's affectionate thumpings, but now she's kid of top-heavy with the sloshing kegs. She nods. "Th' main things Ah remember 'bout bein' yer age is learnin' how t' take care o' th' trees, an'... an' Mac learnin' t' take care of *us*. You'n'me, AB. 'Course, that was after. Did Ah ever tell y'all WHY Ah went t' Manehattan? Come to think of it, Ah ain't rightly sure Ah ever even told Mac an' Granny."
Scootaloo feels really out of place. Uncomfy. She knows how close the Apples are, and being the single careless daughter of a weather engineer and, well, whoever her mom was, she's never had that sibling relationship. Apart from with Dash, but... she hasn't even known Dash forever. She chomps her fries silently, going unusualy quiet.
Big Mac reaches a hoof out and gives Apple Bloom a pat on the shoulder as she faceplants into the table. If he didn't know better, he'd /almost/ think she were adopted.. almost. "Somepony had t' dig th' boulders out o' the fields." he grins, puffing his chest out a little, proud of the good work he did, even if he chose to do so at an inconvenient time when he was younger. Using his other hoof, he reaches it out to place it on Applejack, helping steady her after his bump and leaving the stallion looking a bit sheepish. He shakes his head lightly to AJ at her recounting of not recounting telling /why/ she wanted to go to manehatten. He does remember the emotions that ran high in the family through the period of time she was gone, however.
Noticing Scootaloo looking awkward, Mac takes a moment to slip back into the back room and sneak one of the apples from the barrel, returning to slide it across the table to Scootaloo. Apples always cheer him up!
Worse: DIGGING HOLES BECAUSE IT WAS HELPFUL. Apple Bloom sits back up. "Y'all two are mah family and ah love y'all. But y'all don't know jack about breakin' no rules." Apple Bloom finally says. She does, however, regard Applejack curiously. Maybe there's hope after all.
Applejack takes a deep breath. "Well... if'n y'all promise not t'laugh... When Ah was little, Ah used t'want t'be a performer. Singin', actin', an' so on." She regards each of you challengingly, DARING anypony to snigger. "Ah went t'Manehattan 'cause Ah wanted t' take a crack at gettin' in one o' their Broadhay shows. Or off-Broadhay. Whatever." She looks out a nearby window for a moment. in the distance, apple trees can be seen on the rolling hills. "Ah used t'want that more'n anythin'. Used to. When th' rainboom came, it reminded me of what REALLY matters, an' that back home Ah'd just up an' left mah young brother an' old granny t' take care of a huge farm an' a tiny foal all by their lonesome." She looks back and smiles at AB. "Ah couldn't leave y'all. So Ah came home."
Well... that's a little closer to rebellion. Sort of. Though going of to Manehattan to be a star isn't exactly new or shocking to the filly. "Well, okay, y'all git a pass. But ah swear, Big Mac, y'all better do somethin' rebellious some day'r ah'll just think yer a nerd!" Well... as nerdy as a ginormous draft stallion who can move houses can be.
Scootaloo earperks as the apple rolls across the table, and Scoots looks up, swiping a strand of mane from her eyes and smiling at Mac. For now, she listens to AJ's story and sits quietly. She's never really broken any rules her dad has set her. They break them together, as a team. She doesn't think she *could* disobey her dad and run off... but she isn't likely to admit that.
Big Mac grins lightly to Bloom. "Tell that t' our parents when ah was goin' after a rock 10' underground." he chuckles, hinting at him knowing something his parents didn't at the time. "B'sides, ah 'know 'n appleJACK 'bout breakin' rules." he says lightly and quiets down for AJ to tell her story, his smile growing as he listens to his sister speak, giving a good nod of his head and a big loving hoof hug around his sisters shoulders. Making sure to help her keep her balance too, of course. His brow furrows lightly at Apple Bloom and grins. "Ah reckon ah'll start by diggin' holes in our empty field an' plantin' a crop." he mildly threatens, though the smirk on his muzzle may hint hes not /entirely/ serious. Noticing the perk in mood by Scootaloo, Mac gives the filly a little wink.
Applejack scratches her head. "Ah dunno, sugarcube. Rebellion's kinda hard t'do when yer rules are th' laws o' nature. If'n we didn't do th' right things at th' right times, th' crop could fail, and we-all'd be in a terrible sorry state come winter. There's a big ol' difference between riskin' gettin' grounded, an' riskin' starvin'." She pauses a moment and shares a look with Big Macintosh. "But Ah tell you what... Ah'm glad y'all DON'T know th' difference yet." She turns slightly to show the Crusaders the apples on her rump. "These marks, they ain't our desires, sugarcube. They're our destinies. Yers ain't written yet, an' Ah hope, Ah really do, that it's somethin' y'all really want."
[[ At this point, Scootaloo was called away and had to drop from the scene. ]]
Of *course* Apple Bloom knows the difference. She does something roughly once a week that is BOUND to make Big Mac go gray early. "Ah really hope mah cutie mark has somethin' t'do with adventurin'. That's what ah want."
Big Mac nods deeply to Applejack, taking a half step toward AJ. "Eeyup." he chimes in to her perspective on breaking rules with farming and there being little gray erea in between. Smiling, he reaches out a hoof to ruffle Apple Bloom's mane. "Y'all jus' gotta let it happen." he adds with a reassuring smile.
Applejack blinks at that and leans her head towards Mac. "Uh. Y'all sure y'wanna tell her that? AB ain't exactly lackin' fer, uh, ENTHUSIASM, in this here respect."
Apple Bloom drinks her cider... munches a few fries. "Hey, uh.... kin ah have th'abandoned east orchards cleared?" Apple Bloom finally asks.
Big Mac chuckles to Applejack and nods. "Ah'm sure it won't do any harm. 'Tis jus' the truth. Sometimes y' have less control over 'yer mark than y' might think, tha's all." he clarifies with a smile until AB's question, causing his expression to fade slightly. "Ah reckon y' 'kin make use of some of it 'fer th' time bein' Whatch'all think AJ?" he asks, getting his sisters input as well.
Applejack frowns slightly. "Wellll... It's true it'll be a couple more winters before we can use th' fields, after th' blight..." She looks at Mac and nods slowly. "Ah reckon it's safer t'know where she's doin' th' whatever it is she's doin', at least we can keep an eye on it, right?" Pause. Thought. Decision. Applejack nods to Apple Bloom. "All right, sugar. We'll clear it out for ya. Might have t' wait 'til we're done prunin', but... yes."
Applejack blinks. "What ARE y'all doin' there, exactly?"
"Good. 'Cause that's where ah wanna build mah airship." Apple Bloom says. "Y'all reckon a hangar is lawk a big... big barn?" She *has* done her research. At least on the airship side of things. She's always been mechanically inclined, but she learned over the course of her studies and research how airships work and are built. Too bad she didn't put too much thought into where airships typically spend their time when not in the air.
Big Mac raises a hoof and chuckles lightly, giving a little shake of his head as AJ speaks, letting her finish before interrupting. "Ah reckon she 'kin use it, but ah reckon /she/ is gonna be th' one t' clear it." he says rather sternly. He knows how busy he is with the farm work they have without adding on the extra work of clearing another field. "'course, tha doesn't mean ah can't an' won't help from time t' time." he aadds, smiling a little. If she really wants this, he reckons it's something shes going to have to earn with hard work.
Applejack nods to Mac. "Yer right, pest season's right on prunin' season's tail. We can show her what t' DO, though." Then she looks baffled at the PURPOSE the field will be put to. "Ah... ain't rightly sure... uh... Maybe this ain't such a good idea, Mac. Airships ain't exactly th' sort of thing that says 'SAFE' t'me, so..." She pauses, catching sight of Apple Bloom's hopeful expression, and her blank flank. AJ glances briefly at her own apple mark, then turns back to Bloom and smiles gently. "Ah think y'all should go talk t' Twilight. Ah bet she has a book all about how t' build the best airships ever."
"Oh, ah already got how t'build th'airship, and even got th'engine desawn finished. It's just a matter of... uh... *where* ah'm buildin' th'Crusader. Ah was hopin at th'farm so it could be lawk part o'the acres." Then Apple Bloom gasps in realization. "SAaaaaaaay! Ah know a GREAT way t'sell some apples! How about ah flaw it around with some advertawsin' on it fer th'apples?"
Big Mac chuckles to Applejack and nods. "Eeyup." he says with her thoughts on the work seasons and how they fall rather quickly on the tail of others this time of year. "Could be dangerous, but ah reckon with a close on on 'er and some professional help b'fore she takes it out, th' hard work would do 'er well." he says, figuring it will either become too much work for 'Bloom or if shes /really/ serious about this, help her build some character by going after something she wants.
Applejack chuckles softly. "Ah reckon it would, big brother. 'Captain Bloom' has a mighty fine ring to it, wouldn't y'say?"
Then Applejack does what she was stopped from earlier: giving Apple Bloom's mane the ruffling of a lifetime!
"Captain?" Apple Bloom echos. That sounds a little weird to her. Captain? Nah... she'll just be Apple Bloom of the Crusader, maybe. She stands up and feels more pumped up. "Ah should git t'work!"
Big Mac nods deeply to Applejack with a smile. "Might fit jus' nice. Only way t' find out!" he chuckles as he leans in to give both sisters a group hug. or rather, he puts his hooves around both of them at the same time. "Ah reckon y' should. Th' field wont clear itself." he grins and releases both of his sisters.
Applejack chuckles. "Ah think we all should, sugarcube. This here brandy ain't gonna deliver itself, neither - no matter HOW strong Granny done made it this time." She gives Apple Bloom a quick hug and walks toward the door. "Ah'll see y'all back at th' house fer supper. Ah think Granny's makin' stuffed peppers, and Ah wouldn't wanna miss that." She pauses and looks back with a smile. "Not fer all th' lights on Broadhay." Then she's gone, presumably to deliver to whatever's left of the Meadery.