Auto-imported from derpibooru.org (1999164)

Sweet sits on the stairs, trying to concentrate on her homework when the door slams open. Peeking over the ledge, she sees her mother storm into the family room. Usually, Sweet would call out to greet her but her expression made the foal stay silent. She stomped off into the kitchen, muttering to herself.

Sweet snuck downstairs and peeked into the kitchen just as her father walked in, concern painted clearly one his face.

"AJ?" He gently called out, circling to her. "Darling, whats wrong" Applejack stayed silent, hiding her face in her hooves.

"…I don't wanna talk about it." She grumbled. Flim just smirked and nuzzled her cheek.

"Clearly you do or else you'd not bothered coming inside." He reasoned. Sweet and Flim knew that when applejack wanted to be alone, she didn't bother coming inside, instead hiding somewhere until she was ready to talk.

"…Do you know when Flam's Parole hearing is happenin'?" She asked, surprising Flim.

"Eh?" Flim frowned, not sure where this was going. "Y-yes, I'm his only living relative so they send me letters informing me. Anyone affiliated gets a notice. Why?"

"…Everyone else must be too, cause they know about the hearing too."

"How do" At this point, Applejack snaps, slamming a hoof on the table and scaring Sweet into hiding deeper in the shadows.

"Ah don' know what happened! Ah was just mindin' my business, selling our wares when somepony started talking about it." She explained, glaring hatefully at the wall. It was Sweet's first time seeing her mother that angry. "They were even fake whispering, making sure ah heard every word." She snorted, looking disgusted. "Then they mentioned you so I had to speak up."

"What happened?" Flim asked, his tone empty of warmth.

"They demanded to know if their hard earned bits were going to be used to bail out 'a no good swindler an' his brother outta jail'." Applejack said, missing Flim and Sweet's mutual look of concern. They both knew who did this. Sweet remembered the scary pony with the not nice smile who threatened them before. It'd been some time, so Sweet had forgotten about it but it turned out he was still out there, causing trouble.

"…" Flim said nothing, not wanting to add to the fire.

So I socked them in the muzzle." She continued, her tone a little lighter as she recalled the memory. She wasn't a violent mare but sometimes it was necessary.

"AJ?!" Flim cried, shocked but also pleased that those bastards had gotten some punishment for harassing his wife.

"What!? I ain't got your silver tongue or Rarity's what she call it -" Applejack tapped her chin with her hoof. "sophistication or whatever. I'm a farm girl and we don't let anyone speak ill of our kin."

Flim smiled to himself, a bit happy to be considered kin, when just a few years prior, he WAS a no-good swindler. Still…

"But what about your business?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Ponyville was a small rural town where everypony knew everyone so it was bound to spread that AJ had punched somepony.

"…Well, I lost quite a few customers today so…" She said no more. Ponyville was small but one of Sweet Apple Acres best means of revenue, mostly from proximity. If she lost too many customers in town, her exports might not be enough to sustain them. Not to mention her reputation in town making it hard to just walk around, let alone sell.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Flim looked away, ashamed. Not because of his actions, since he knew Applejack would stand by him on it but because there was nothing he could do to help her. The ponies in Ponyville barely trusted him before and now they see him as some kind of gold digger out to scam them.

"What are ya sorry bout?" She reached over to grab his face. "It ain't your fault. It's technically public records so there's a million reason it could have spread." She explained, her red rimmed eyes staring up into his desolate ones. They both knew there was more to this. "Besides, I was the one who lost her temper."

"Still, I'm so sorry."



Takes place just a few weeks after this



During this time, AJ was placed in charge of Sweet Apple Acres while Granny was in the hospital and Big mac was out doing deliveries. Applebloom had moved out years before so the only one directly running the farm was Applejack. At first, it was easy, her friendly demeanor and salesmare voice made it easy to sell (with some suggested prompts from her former conman husband, Flim) her wares.

But then rumors about Flam started circulating. Those in ponyville rarely knew what happened around Equestria and fewer cared to find out. Which is why the fact that Flam's Parole hearing spread so quickly was strange.

Rumors began to spread about it and business in Ponyville stagnated until Sweet was put in charge of selling wares since AJ wasn't as well liked as before.

Note: Flim had never told Applejack about Oil Slick since he thought the he could handle it himself. He didn't think the stallion would actually go and attempt to tarnish a hero's life/income. Its only after this that he finally tells her.

Upvotes at import: 30 | Stars at import: 18
Posted previously at: 2019-03-31T13:23:47 | Posted previously by: Jolliapplegirl