Author's Note: This is the first new thing I've written in awhile, well, fanfiction at least. I wrote this late last night in a notebook while watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic on DVD. I have another idea for a Pony fanfiction but I'm not sure to go with it. I'll read and revise as much as possible and try to categorize events as so but I'm just warning you now there will still probably be errors. That's fanfiction for you. : P Errors or not, I hope you enjoy this one. You may think it's kinda sick because it's romance between Braeburn and Applejack but read the story first and understand first. Without further ado, I give you this story.

Apple Blossoms of Love

Chapter 1: An Attempt to Regain Happiness

Ever since Big Macintosh died, Granny Smith had been acting weirder than usual. When she first heard of her grandson's death, she wouldn't do anything but sit in her old maple rocking chair, staring at all of the apple family and all of Sweet Apple Acres. But was she really watching them? No, she was grieving on the inside.

Big Macintosh was the first grand foal she had ever lost. The first family member of the large Apple Family to pass since her daughter Ambrosia died with her husband Belmac when a wagon that was being pulled by a mule headed over a cliff. The mule had done this on purpose.

Unlike his parents, the cause of Big Macintosh's death was unknown. One day he had gone missing from Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack searched the orchard all over at least one hundred times that day and soon moved into Ponyville to search. Since he wasn't found there either, she filed a missing pony's report, not daring to enter and venture Everfree Forest. A few days passed and Big Macintosh still didn't turn up.

Word of his disappearance spread like wildfire over a weeks' time and Princess Celestia herself ordered a small search party of knights to go and join the search for the missing pony. She told them to search all over Equestria if they must.

Within a few hours, Princess Celestia's knights found Big Macintosh in the Everfree Forest, face down in a small stream, dead. They examined his body and declared it may have been suicide or murder but it went in the record books as unknown. Applejack was the first pony notified and had the most pain out of everyone and anyone. Apple Bloom and Granny Smith hurt too but not nearly as much. They didn't have the bond that she and Big Macintosh had themselves.

Now a year later, on the anniversary of his death, things seemed like they were going back to normal through Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres . . . but Granny Smith still saw everything as bleak as the day she found out about his death.

She knew that Big Macintosh must have been in a better place now up in Heaven with his parents . . . but he was a young stallion! She never thought he would die so young . . . so unexpectedly. No one could have ever guessed he would die so early. She thought he would marry some mare and raise some little foals just before she passed.

She sighed, sitting in her rocking chair, watching every pony on the farm doing some sort of work trying to get all of the apples harvested. Some being shipped and others being kept and preserved, turned into jam or cider or a number of sweets.

"Something happy needs to happen to this here family . . . and I think I know just the thing . . ." Granny Smith thought.

Applejack sighed, lifting yet another large basket of apples to throw onto her back and carry to the wagon waiting at the end of the long path of trees she had been harvesting apples from all day. The basket was Big Macintosh. When he was alive, he did most of the lifting of the apples she had bucked from the trees. One time she even tried to do all of the bucking on her own because Big Macintosh was injured but her friends quickly came to her rescue once she was becoming sleep deprived.

Unfortunately, this time she pretty much had to do it all herself. Her friends were busy. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were too busy preparing a fall storm and Rarity had taken Pinkie Pie and Twilight busy with fittings for their dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala that was only two months away. Granny Smith was too old to buck apples, and Apple Bloom had school and was too little to make much of a difference. Most of the time Apple Bloom would make plans with her friends after school anyway. Today she was supposed to meet her immediately after school to finish bucking the rest of the apple trees in the orchard. Of course, she didn't show up and forgot about her responsibilities. So, here poor Applejack was, stuck with her chores and her inherited ones.

"I just wish I could be happy again . . ." Applejack thought to herself. "T'ain't fair if Big Macintosh did commit suicide . . . it wasn't fair to the rest of us here."

Since the work had been finished for the day and the sun was beginning to go down, Applejack decided to take a walk through Ponyville and maybe visit some of her friends when she ran into Apple Bloom and her friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle who were walking somewhere, probably another scheme to try and get their Cutie marks no doubt. All three of the little fillies were covered in dirt.

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack shouted at her little sister, causing all three of the little ponies to look up at her in fear, seeing that she was angry. Applejack walked over to Apple Bloom and grabbed her by the bow before she could run off.

"Oww! Let go Applejack!" Apple Bloom cried. Applejack, worn out from working all day was fed up with everything intensified her glare at Apple Bloom before letting go and backing off, still keeping her gaze on her.

"What happened, Apple Bloom?! You were supposed to be home after school! I was startin' ta get worried bout y'all. There was work ta be done! We're almost done with the harvest so we can preserve 'em for winter. I was hoping to get done today, but since y'all done gone and went with yer friends after school, we're behind!"

Apple Bloom whimpered. "I'm sorry Applejack . . . it's just . . . I haven't seen my friends outside of school since harvest season started! I miss them! Finally they invited me out today to go try and get our cutie marks in bug catching!"

"Is that where y'all were just now and why y'all are so filthy?" Applejack remarked crudely.

Apple Bloom hung her head and nodded and Applejack sighed as she noticed the sun going down. "C'mon. Say goodbye to your little friends. It's about dinner time . . . and I'm sure Granny Smith is waitin' on us."

Apple Bloom frowned, embarrassed by her sister's sudden approach and behavior in front of her friends and said good-bye to the both of them saying that she would see them in school on Monday. When she turned back around, Applejack was already walking back toward Sweet Apple Acres with a hanging head. She then remembered what today meant and all the pain came rushing back and she trotted to catch up with her sister. They walked in silence half the way there and finally Apple Bloom spoke.

"Applejack . . . I-"

"It's okay Apple Bloom . . . its okay . . ." Applejack said softly with her eyes hidden from her view. "We'll get it done tomorrow . . ."

Apple Bloom sighed. "That's not what I was gonna . . . say."

Applejack turned to face her younger sister but kept her eyes on the ground. Apple Bloom cleared her throat, fighting the lump forming in it. "I remembered what today was . . . and well . . . I'm sorry . . . I jus' made everything more difficult."

Applejack smiled a little, swallowing the lump in her throat. "It's okay Apple Bloom . . . it's been a rough year for all of us . . . regardless of something you did . . . everything is rough."

The two sisters nuzzled each other and then went back to walking home. When they walked into the house, Granny Smith was in a loud hollering fit which scared them immensely.

"Woo hoo! I knew it! I knew I hadn't forgotten everything!" Granny Smith shouted, dancing around shakily, barely holding herself up, and holding papers in her hooves.

Applejack looked upon her Granny Smith for the first time truly believing that something had snapped in her brain or that she had gone senile but she still couldn't hold back the question.

"Granny Smith! What in tarnation are you talking about?!" Apple Bloom shouted.

"Applejack is betrothed!" Granny Smith shouted still shaking her weak hips.

COMMERCIAL BREAK!

Go get a soda :D

"B-Betrothed? HOW?! Who? What pony?" Applejack shouted.

"Your cousin Braeburn!" Granny Smith replied happily.

"But Granny Smith, that's incest! I can't marry Braeburn!" Applejack shouted some more.

Granny Smith stopped dancing around and walked up to Applejack urging her to sit down. Applejack obeyed.

"According to this agreement, when you and Braeburn were jist little foals, your parents decided that you two should be married. The women of the Apple family are betrothed more often than the men but you two are betrothed! It even has a letter attached to it where Braeburn's parents agreed! This is still legal by-goodness!" Granny Smith lectured

"But we're family Granny Smith!" Applejack protested.

"You must not be too close or your parents wouldn't have betrothed ya! I'll give a ring to the saloon over in Appaloosa to spread the word!" she declared, heading to the old phone in the kitchen.

Applejack sighed sinking where she sat and shook her head. "I've always loved Braeburn . . . when I was younger I had a little bit of a crush on him because next to Big Macintosh, he was one of my first and best friends. But I haven't even seen him since Big Macintosh's funeral . . . how can I go through with this?"

Whoa! Whhaaattt? Yes. Braeburn and Applejack are betrothed. Kinda like in the old days where parents would arrange marriages for their children and generally to their cousins. I thought this would make an interesting fanfiction and YES I will be continuing it even though I know I won't get many viewers or fans or anything. What will Applejack do? Stay tuned for Chapter 2!