Apple Pies

Red: ........"Ah burnt the pie....."

Applejack had just finished pulling out the last apple pie from the oven and moved over to stand by her upset son.

Applejack: "Oh sugar cube, don't worry nothin' about it. It was ya'lls first pie!"

Applejack smiled to try and encourage her son to not be upset. Red continued to sniffle staring at at the sad looking pie, then turned to his mother, still looking ashamed.

Red: "B-but how can I be an Apple if I can't make apple pies?"

Applejack: "Now hold on just a gosh darn second. Who said you need to bake apple pies to be an Apple? Being an Apple means being strong, honest, workin' hard and never givin' up. And most importantly, being there for family and friends. I know you match all those requirement to be in the Apple family."

Red had started to calm down and even smile at his mother's encouraging word.

Apple Bloom: "Woo-wee! Smells like the field is on fire in here!"

Apple Bloom trotted into the kitchen to ask what the smell was, till she saw her sister give her a menacing glare to hold her tongue. Red had gone back to staring at his poor pie trying to hold back any tears, but the smoke from his pie wasn't helping. 

Apple Bloom: "Oh! Is this your first pie, Red? It looks great!"

Red looked at his aunt with confusion, then pouted.

Red: "No it doesn't......"

Apple Bloom: "Are ya kidding!? My first pie turned into an Apple soup and melted through the pan! Your ma's put Big Mac in the hospital for a week!"

Red looked at his now embarrassed mother, surprised that her first pie wasn't the best.

Applejack chuckled nervously, but patted her son on the head. "Well, I guess it's an Apple tradition to make a bad first pie. Not one pony I know has ever made a perfect pie their first time 'round."

Granny Smith: "Ah have!" Granny Smith yelled from the other room. "Eeyup!" Big Mac agreed. Applejack and Apple Bloom rolled their eyes, but smiled.

Applejack: "Well.....everypony but Granny that is."

Granny Smith: "What's that, deary?" Granny Smith and Big Mac walked into the kitchen. Applejack whispered to Red, he smiled and rushed over to Uncle Big Mac with his pie. 

Red: "Ma says it's tradition for you to take the first bite of every first pie made by an Apple!" Red started to feel confident, waiting for his uncle to take a piece."

Big Mac: "Uuuh......." Big Mac was about to say nope, till he saw his nephew stare at him with hopeful eyes, then gave a quick glare to his smiling sisters. With some hesitation, Big Mac finally sighed and took a bite then fought against his will to spit it out.

Everypony: "........... ............ ..........?"

Big Mac: *swallow* ".........."    

Red: "Well?" Red asked nervously, biting his lower lip.

Big Mac: "Yum." Big Mac forced a smile.

Red: "R-really!?!?!" Red's eyes shown brightly. "Imma get more apples to make more pies for Uncle Big Mac!" Red announced and put his pie down, then grabbed his small bucket and raced out the door to fetch more apples. Applejack walked over to her ill looking brother and nudged his side, raising an eyebrow in amusement to his forced smile. After he was sure Red was out in the fields, his face fell and he took a deep breath.

Applejack: "So? How was it?"

Big Mac: "Raw.....but still better than ya'lls first pie." Big Mac walked out of the kitchen confidently as Apple Bloom and Granny Smith laughed. Applejack just rolled her eyes and smiled as she went back to clean up the mess her son had made in the kitchen.