My first fanfic on here. I hope you enjoy! Reviews=Good, Flames=Bad. :)

Applebloom shut the door behind her older sister and hit her head against it. She and Granny Smith were going to a rodeo in Canterlot to sell apples and things, but left her and Big Mac behind. Why? Applebloom wasn't old enough to help at the stands, and Big Mac… had no desire what so ever to go. It was just Applebloom and Big Mac alone for a day.

She left the door and turned around to see the big red stallion standing there.

"So, uh… what do we do now?" the filly asked curiously.

Big Mac's only reply was a shrug before trotting outside to work in the fields. Applebloom watched him go, anger and upsetness swelled up inside of her. All he ever answered with was with an "Eeyup," "Nnope," "Uh…" or a simple jesture. Not another word. He was extremely quiet. Applebloom hated that. She could never strike up a conversation because it always ended with one of those.

The filly walked back upstairs to her bedroom, then hatched up a plan. If she did something to make him say something, it'd be a major accomplishment! Maybe Applebloom could even earn a communication cutie mark or something, though she didn't know what that would look like. She smiled, then paced back and forth, thinking of stuff to say to him.

The next morning, Applebloom woke up with the rooster crowing and went downstairs, her mane still a mess. She saw Big Mac reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee and thought, Here's my chance! Grabbing a slice of toast from her plate, she asked quite awkwardly, "Good mornin'. Are ya gunna buck s'more apples taday?"

"Eeyup," he stated before sipping the strong drink.

That was the biggest fail at having a conversation Applebloom had ever tried.

"Erm… got 'ny plans for the weekend?"

"Nnope." This was getting nowhere. Applebloom bit into her bread with frustration, spreading crumbs all over her mouth. She looked down at them, then licked them off and angrily finished the rest of the toast. Without giving her brother eye contact, she walked outside and slammed the door shut. Big Mac gave the door a confused look, but ignored it and continued reading and drinking.

By the time the sun was up and shining bright, Applebloom had a new plan. All she needed was some red paint and cornstarch.

She grabbed her ingredients and mixed them up in a bowl until she had a sticky, red glop. Perfect. Quietly, she took the concoction upstairs and used her hoof to spread about five lines across her flank, then looked in the mirror. She looked bloody good, if she did say so herself. "That was a terrible pun," Applebloom mumbled, then ran outside to try out her new plan.

"BIG MAC!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "HELP ME!" The red horse bounded his way over to her and stared down at her with his leafy green eyes. She had her leg bent in a weird position and was 'crying.' "Ah was trying to climb a tree and AH FELL DOWN! IT HURTS!" she whined.

The workhorse tilted his head and stuck one hoof in her mouth. With the other, he wiped off one of the spots to reveal her yellow skin, clean and uninjured. He took out his hoof and gave her and confused look again.

Applebloom chuckled nervously, "Oh, looks like Ah'm fine after all… bye!" She ran back into the barn and wiped her hoof across her forehead.

Time for plan C.

Later on in the evening, Applebloom crept into the living room and noticed Big Mac relaxing by the wall, a piece of straw in his mouth. She walked casually over and lay next to him, in the same position he was in: hooves behind head, one leg crossed over the other. He sure knew how to relax.

"How has yer day been?" Applebloom asked, trying once again. This time, she'd act casual, then ask him something VERY uncomfortable.

"Eeyup."

"That's not the kind o' question Ah asked, but Ah guess that's a good thang?"

He nodded.

She bobbed her foot for a few silent seconds, then said, "Have ya talked ta Miss Cheerilee lately?"

"Eeyup."

"Was it interesting?"

"… Eeyup."

"… Do ya think she's cute?"

His face flushed. "Uh…"

"Answer me! C'mon, Big Mac!"

His face turned red. Then he looked at an invisible watch on his wrist and galloped away into his room.

Applebloom got up and stopped the ground with her hoof. "Horseapples!" she cursed before storming away.

It was night time and Applebloom had tried everything she could think of, but it ended in the same results. Maybe she couldn't get anything out of him.

Applebloom and Big Mac walked into her bedroo to tuck her in. Usually Granny Smith did that, but since she wasn't here, Big Mac had to.

The yellow filly clambered into bed and laid her head down, close to crying. As her brother took the bow out of her mane and put it up, he gave her a concerned look. With that, she burst into a sad/angry rant.

"Ah've been tryin' ALL DAY to get you to talk! I haven't heard you before n' now was a good chance, but you wouldn't let up! What if Ah'll never hear you say something where Ah hear your actual voice?"

Big Mac only gave her an empty stare. Now Applebloom had lost all hope. It wasn't something Cutie Mark Crusaders should do, but she did it. She laid her head back into her pillow without another word. The stallion walked over to the doorway, turned out the lights, and then did something Applebloom had long awaited to hear.

"Ah love ya, sis. G'night." Then he shut the door with nothing else to say.

Applebloom gasped and bore her eyes into the door, waiting for more words. But she didn't think she'd need to hear any more. "I love you" was enough to hear. Out of all the things she expected him to say and it was "I love you." The filly smiled, sighed, and shut her eyes tight.

In her dream, she and Big Mac had carried on a long conversation about cutie marks, apples, and love.