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Description

A series of drawings depicting 1.) Magnolia May's birth (and her overjoyed mamas), 2.) Magnolia as a young kid (before her name was Magnolia), and 3.) Applejack and Cadence having a very important discussion. I wrote a short piece on it below.

TW: This story discusses the beginning of Magnolia May's gender transition, mainly its affect on her family. Trigger warning for transphobic assumptions and also some misgendering by a character who doesn't yet understand how to talk about these things.

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"How do we know this ain't a phase?"

Applejack chewed stubbornly on a stalk of wheat. Her question hung in the air.

Princess Cadence smiled politely. "I suppose there's a chance." She offered, "....Still, it couldn't hurt to indulge your child for a week or so. Call her by whatever pronouns she requests, let her dress however she likes. See where it goes." She laid a hand across Applejack's shoulders, brushing over muscles rigid with tension. "....Perhaps it is just a phase."

Secretly, Cadence very much doubted it was. She'd sensed the yearning in the young Apple foal's heart, a feeling as pure as it was familiar.

Applejack worked her jaw, avoiding the gaze of the princess. "......And if it ain't?" With a frustrated snort, she stood and began to pace, her heavy hooves trampling the orchard grass. "Landsakes, how would he even know? He's six, for Celestia's sake!"

Cadence was careful to keep her voice calm, as soft and soothing as a lullaby. "Children typically have a very strong sense of self." She said, folding her hands, "I'm sure Twilight can recommend some excellent reading on the subject. I was around the same age myself when I knew."

"Oh, sure." Applejack scoffed. "I reckon ya didn't. I bet yer folks just saw ya havin' fun in a pretty dress and leapt to the conclusion ya were transgender." She rolled her eyes. "And y'all say I'm confused. No offense, princess, but ain't it at least a little possible you woulda been different if yer parents hadn'ta been so eager to slap a label on ya?"

"I don't know about that." Cadence gave a rueful smile. ".....I can't actually remember my parents very much at all, Applejack. I'm told they passed away in an accident, back when I was still very small."

Applejack's eyes went wide, at the same time she sucked down a breath, nearly stumbling over herself to apologize. ".....Oh. Oh, horseapples, princess, I had no idea-" She leapt to lay her hands down on Cadence's shoulders, nearly engulfing them in her palms. "I'm so, so sorry sugarcube, I-I shouldn't have- I'm sorry-"

Cadence covered one of the mare's hands with her own. "Applejack, it's alright-"

"It's not!" Applejack argued. She snatched off her stetson hat, and began wringing it in her hands. "You were kind enough to come all the' way to Ponyville to help me an' Rare, and here I go stickin' my hoof in my mouth! I don't....I just don't know what's wrong with me lately."

Cadence smiled, soft and patient. "...I do."

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza knew many ponies viewed her as redundant. An unnecessary addition to a perfect trio of alicorn princesses. Celestia herded the sun across the sky, Luna bathed the land in moonlight, and Twilight preserved the harmony between the Sisters, between all ponies. What use was a pretty pink princess of love?

Ha. If only they knew her true power.

Cadence could see through Applejack as easily as peering into glass. She could sense all the turbulent emotions whirling through the draft pony- doubt, self-consciousness, hurt, humility, confusion. But Cadence reached deeper, until she found what she was looking for- a warm, golden, beautiful feeling, as rich and filling as honey.

Storge. Love of a mother for her child.

Cadence could sense it, fierce and maternal, as hard and unwavering as an oak tree. Yet it was polluted by another feeling Cadence knew all too well.

"You're afraid." The crystal princess said simply. Applejack flinched.

Cadence couldn't create love where there was none, but she could amplify it wherever it existed. And Applejack had a bountiful reserve to draw from. Lighting her horn almost imperceptibly, Cadence fanned the flames of this love. There was an image in Applejack's mind- a tiny golden foal with lavender curls. It was this image Applejack clung to, this image she'd had erected a wall in her heart to protect. With soft blue wisps of magic, Cadence began to chip away at the wall.

Predictably, Applejack resisted. "I.....I ain't afraid of nothin'." The draft pony stood up straighter, planting her hooves. "Not stampedes, not timberwolves, and not some new age hippie-dippie nonsense tellin' little boys they have to be little girls, just cause.....just 'cause he wants to wear eye shadow every now and then!"

"Even though your child asked to be referred to as a girl."

That gave Applejack pause. ".....It's a phase." She frowned, "Just a phase. It's gotta be."

Cadence maintained her gentle stream of magic, her horn glowing just a bit brighter, trying to coax more vulnerability out of Applejack. It felt rather like trying to lasso a rodeo bull with a shoestring. "I don't think that's true." She said firmly. "And you know it, Applejack."

"No, I don't." Applejack snorted. "My brother likes to dress in Celestia-damned drag, but that don't mean he wants to be a mare. I ain't exactly the most feminin' type myself, but that don't make me a stallion."

And just like that, Cadence had located a crack in the armor. She cranked her magic up ever so slightly. "....Of course not." She soothed. "After all, there's more than one way to be a mare. Would it bother you to be mistaken for a stallion?"

"A'course!" Applejack planted her hands on her hips. "As much as it'd bother any pony! Just 'cause I ain't slim and soft like you an' Rarity, it don't make me any less of a mare!"

"Interesting, very interesting." Cadence said carefully. "I seem to recall you and Rarity utilizing some magic to conceive your child. Rarity was shape-shifted into a stallion, correct?"

"....I wouldn't say that." Applejack hesitated. "Discord changed 'er body, gave her the, uh, the parts necessary for baby-makin'." Here she turned a bit pink, not wanting to be immodest. "But she was still my Rare." The earth pony insisted, "Still the same mare I've always known. No amount of magicky shape-shiftin' could change that."

Cadence leaned forward. "....Would you agree then, that it's up to a pony to define their gender? Not their 'parts'?"

"I....suppose....." Applejack said slowly, uncomfortably, sensing a trap. "But....but that doesn't change anythin'! T-that was different!" She gestured desperately, scrabbling for footing. "My boy ain't a girl, because- because-!"

"Because you say so." Cadence finished.

"Exactly!" Applejack flickered a little in her anger, knowing it was a weak defense, but unwilling to back down. "....Because I said so!"

"Mm. The oft-spoken phrase of a parent backed into a corner."

Applejack scowled. ".....It's worked fine so far."

"It won't for much longer." Cadence said lightly. "And I think you're afraid of that. I think your fear is clouding your mind." She reached out a hand, smiling, soft, eternally patient. "....But you're better than this, Applejack. I know you are. Don't you trust your own child?"

Furious and offended, Applejack balled her hands into shaking fists, her face curling into a snarl that could scatter a pack of timberwolves. "I-!"

"Jacqueline Apple." Cadence interrupted, her voice going hard as ice, "You and I both know what it's like to long for a mother. I would've traded my horn and wings for just one last embrace from mine, and I know you'd trade every apple in your orchard for the same. The ache never really goes away, does it?" Her tone became softer now, almost pleading. "Please don't subject your child to the same fate. To have a mother that refuses to see her for who she really is.....it'll be like having no mother at all. Maybe even worse."

Applejack sucked in a breath, looking gut-punched. "I-I didn't.....I'd never-"

"Be brave, AJ." Cadence dared to reach out. "The element of Honesty cannot be too afraid to see the truth."

"....I...." All the fight bled out of Applejack, tension and anger dissipating. Her hands dropped to her sides, and she only looked tired. "....The truth, huh." She gazed off into the distance for a moment, and her shoulders began to quake with dry, humorless laughter.

"....He said he didn't like his name, Cadence. Asked us for a new one." Applejack's voice hitched suddenly. "....Why? I....I just don't....."

Cadence gave one final nudge with her magic, coaxing out the release that was too long coming. Applejack could've pushed back. But deep down, Cadence suspected she'd wanted to give in. Had maybe wanted that all along.

Applejack was silent for a long time.

Then she drew a deep, shuddering breath, and began to cry.

Cadence was upon her at once, wrapping the earth pony in enormous lavender wings. "Shh," She soothed, "Shh, shh, Applejack, sweetheart, it's going to be okay-"

But the dam had broken, and Applejack wept like a child, knuckles against her eyes, choking on sorrow and shame and fear. "I c-can't-!" She cried out between sobs, "I can't- I-I....I-I hafta put on a brave face all the time....f-for the family's sake....but I've lost so much, princess." She finally looked up at Cadence, her green eyes wide and streaming. "And I don't know how much more I can bear! I lost my Ma and Pa, and G-Granny just last season.....I just can't.....I don't wanna lose my little boy too-"

”Oh, Applejack.” Cadence surged forward, looping her thin arms around Applejack in the tightest hug she could manage. “You love so hard and so honestly, even in the face of terrible loss. It's a quality I really admire about you.” She squeezed the draft pony’s hand with her tiny one. “But I’m sure you’ll find there’s nothing to be scared of. Your feelings are normal, but I promise your child isn't going anywhere."

”.....I dunno, Cadence." Applejack had produced a diesel-stained handkerchief from somewhere, and was dabbing clumsily at her eyes, still looking too lost for Cadence’s liking. "I.....I wish I could believe you, but I just don't know."

"Well, just think about it." Cadence tried. "Has she changed really? Besides just asking to be called a she?"

".....I......I-" Applejack faltered, "......I guess.....not. He's still my lil' sprout. Feisty and fulla' trouble, with frogs in his pockets and dirt in his hair. He likes to leaf through Rarity's dress catalogs and play with Apple Bloom's old dollies, but he's always done that." She glanced at Cadence nervously. "....Maybe I shoulda known. Do you think there's anything I could've done to....." She trailed off, unwilling to finish. The words felt wrong.

"To prevent your child being transgender?" Cadence finished gently. Applejack hung her head, ashamed of herself.

Cadence continued. "No more than you could prevent an apple seed from becoming an apple tree. No matter how sure you were that it was a fig tree, or a pine, or an oak....it can only be what it is." She looked to the draft pony, her eyes soft.

"Applejack, I want you to know I understand. When we hold our babies for the first time, we want the whole world for them, don't we? We dream of the things they'll accomplish, , the lives they'll lead, the kind of pony they'll be. But the fact is, our dreams may not align with our child's reality." She said firmly. "And in these instances, we're presented with a choice. Cling stubbornly to our illusion, and risk losing our child-"

Applejack winced.

"Or let go of our dream, and help our child build a new one." Cadence smiled. "This isn't the end, Applejack. I promise. It's the beginning. It's an opportunity to learn more about your child. It's a whole new adventure waiting for you and your family- but I don't think they want to set sail without you."

".....Without me?" Applejack echoed, her brows knitting. With her fist she scrubbed away the last of her tears, then heaved an enormous sigh. A final release. "......Landsakes. I reckon I've been pretty small-minded, huh?"

"You're here, Applejack." Cadence reminded kindly. "You're willing to learn. That's the most important thing."

Applejack sat down with an oof, the ground quaking at the impact. She tugged a stalk of grass loose, then placed it between her teeth, chewing thoughtfully.

"Was it.....hard for you, princess? Bein' the way ya are." She wavered. "Uh, if'n that's alright to ask, that is."

"I don't mind, Applejack. I consider you a friend, after all." The ever-present warmth in Cadence's voice retreated, and she mulled over her answer. ".....Yes." She said finally. "Yes, it was difficult. At least in the beginning. I was an orphan. I had no friends, no family to turn to. I had a name, but I didn't like it. It never felt like me. I was......lost, in more ways than one."

Applejack instinctively slid closer, bumping shoulders with the crystal princess.

"By some miracle, I was discovered by Celestia. And she became my family. She was so warm and encouraging....and when I told her I was a girl, she believed me." Cadence toyed with her hair, winding a curl around her fingers. ".....She was the first. I can't tell you what that meant to me, Applejack."

Applejack thought of her kitchen, where a small tribute to Celestia, queen of the harvest, was located. "...Reckon she really is the wisest pony in all Equestria." Applejack wagered, still tentative. "That's what Granny always said."

"She trusted me to know myself." Cadence closed her eyes. "That's wisdom beyond many ponies. Between her care and guidance, and befriending Shining Armor, caring for Twilight, for little Spike.....building the first family I'd ever known- I came to understand love." With a fond grin, Cadence hugged herself. "Including self-love."

"And ya became an alicorn." Applejack mused.

"More than that." Cadence beamed. "I became complete. And as long as I'm confident in who I am, it doesn't matter what other ponies think. I'm a trans mare, Applejack, and I'm proud. I'm a queen to my people, and a mother to two beautiful fillies, and a wife to the handsomest, goofiest stallion on the planet."

"That so?" Applejack dared to smile now, just a little, nervous, hopeful. ".....Sounds like a helluva happy ending."

"And your daughter will have a happier one still." Cadence clasped both Applejack's hands, nearly glowing with joy. "Because she'll have a mom like you."

"I....." Applejack's eyes welled up, at the same time she flushed red, embarrassed to be getting emotional twice. "Of course."

But Cadence caught uncertainty in her tone, a lingering question. Applejack frowned. "Will he...." Here she paused, grasping for the right words. "I mean....she.....Will she want to get surgeries and spells an' such? In the future, I mean.”

”That’s very possible.” Cadence nodded. “Ponies sometimes undergo medical procedures so their outside appearance can better reflect how they feel inside. There are a few specialists right here in Ponyville that can discuss plans with you, if and when your daughter is ready."

”And...” Applejack chewed her lip worriedly. “...Ponies might make fun of her, right? School foals and the like. They might tease, or....”

”That’s also a possibility.” Cadence frowned. “That’s why it’s going to be so, so important for you and Rarity to be supportive. Be willing to talk, listen, and grow with her. Be the rock she can stand on. Our world is full of kindness, Applejack, but sometimes ponies fear what they don’t understand. Fear turns to hate, and they try to hurt those that are different, be it through words, or.....through violence.”

”Try, huh?” Applejack’s jaw set, a deadly scowl clouding her face. “I’ll snap em like a twig first.”

”I'm sure you would." Cadence chuckled. "I can't say I wouldn't do the same." She playfully punched Applejack's arm, then winced, quickly hiding her bruised fingers behind her back.

"Heh. Oh, would you, your majesty?" Applejack turned to tease, "Here I thought a pretty pink thing like you'd be too delicate to sully yer royal hooves clobberin' bullies."

"Who're you calling delicate?" Cadence huffed, feigning great offense. "Haven't you heard of a little tyrant by the name of Sombra? The Shadow King, Master of Fear? No? Maybe that's because I blew him up."

"That you did, yer highness." Applejack snorted a laugh- a real laugh, for the first time that afternoon. The tension finally leaked out of her muscles, and she flopped back into the grass, sprawling out. "...Too bad it didn't stick."

Cadence humphed, but it was betrayed by her smile. ".....Did I answer all your questions? How do you feel?" She sat down in the grass, scooching closer. "Nervous? Worried? Scared?"

"All of the above." Applejack laughed, mighty shoulders shaking. "But underneath all that....I feel pretty good. For the first time since all this started, I feel like maybe.....maybe everything'll be okay." She reached and found her hat, lying abandoned in the wild grass. Plopping it properly on her head, she fixed Cadence with a broad grin. "Know how I know?"

"How?"

"Because Granny Smith ain't raise no quitter." Applejack said firmly. "Us Apples ain't the type to go abandonin' our kin over somethin' as simple as not understandin' em. I like work, princess. Me and Rare....we'll check out every damned book in Twilight's library if we have to. We'll talk to every pony we need to. Specialists, therapists, whatever it takes. For hi-" Applejack jerked, catching herself. "....For her. So we can understand. So we can be exactly what she needs."

"Sounds like you've got a pretty good understanding of love yourself." Cadence winked. "Don't go putting me out of a job now, Missus Apple."

"Pfft, I'll leave the mushy stuff to you, yer majesty. Me, I got a supper to put together." Applejack rose to her hooves, dusting herself off. "You'll be joinin' us, wont'cha? Cause I make a gumbo that'll knock yer fancy-pants tastebuds into next week."

Cadence folded her arms over her knees, chewing her lip in thought. "Tempting, Missus Apple, very tempting." She spared a quick glance to the evening sun dipping low on the horizon. ".....But I think I better be going. I've got some budget proposals to look over, and-"

"Please." Applejack said softly. "....To thank ya." She shuffled on her hooves, looking as nervous as a foal. "And....to meet my lil' apple. I think it's a good idea. I'm ready to try my damndest, Princess, but I'm still gonna blunder every now and then, I know it."

"Applejack-"

"I can't put myself in my so- my daughter's- horseshoes overnight. But you-" Applejack gestured to the princess- "You understand her already. And yer so sweet an' honest, and you've done so well for yerself- I was hopin' you could maybe be a role model?" AJ looked sheepish, turning pink. "I figured my kid could look to you and maybe see a lil bit of herself. Maybe see that there's ponies just like her out there. Maybe know that everythin's gonna be okay." She paused, nervously offering her hand. ".....If'n you don't mind, that is."

"Oh, Applejack, I think you're already far more thoughtful than you're giving yourself credit for." Cadence chuckled, then let Applejack help her to her hooves. ".....That gumbo better be delicious."

"Best you've ever had." A long ways downhill, Applejack could see her little family, barely more than technicolor dots from this distance, but a sight as familiar as it was comforting. Between the sweet scent of apples and the evening wind whispering through the grass, the earth pony couldn't remember why she'd ever been afraid. She looked back at Cadence and winked.

"I guarantee it."

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Magnolia is a feisty southern belle that likes wildflowers and new spring piglets, and she's also a trans lady. There was a strange, brief stretch of her childhood when everypony thought she was a boy, until she politely but firmly corrected them. After a lot of discussion and research, Rarity and Applejack took her into the hills of Sweet Apple Acres, and together they watched the clouds roll by, ate dandelion sandwiches, and set to work thinking up a new name. The magnolias happened to be in bloom, and the rest is history~

fun fact: Cadence mentions "storge" in reference to the many different kinds of love. Cadence gets kinda miffed when ponies assume her only domain is fairy tale romance between lovers, she's actually the alicorn of all forms of love:
Storge: love between family
Philia: love between friends
Eros: romantic love
Philautia: love for one's self

bonus doodle!: bonus headcanon: Rarity and Applejack end up opening their home to queer kids with nowhere to go, or no family to support them. You always have a home at Sweet Apple Acres!

relevant art:

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Description

A series of drawings depicting 1.) Magnolia May's birth (and her overjoyed mamas), 2.) Magnolia as a young kid (before her name was Magnolia), and 3.) Applejack and Cadence having a very important discussion. I wrote a short piece on it below.

TW: This story discusses the beginning of Magnolia May's gender transition, mainly its affect on her family. Trigger warning for transphobic assumptions and also some misgendering by a character who doesn't yet understand how to talk about these things.

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"How do we know this ain't a phase?"

Applejack chewed stubbornly on a stalk of wheat. Her question hung in the air.

Princess Cadence smiled politely. "I suppose there's a chance." She offered, "....Still, it couldn't hurt to indulge your child for a week or so. Call her by whatever pronouns she requests, let her dress however she likes. See where it goes." She laid a hand across Applejack's shoulders, brushing over muscles rigid with tension. "....Perhaps it is just a phase."

Secretly, Cadence very much doubted it was. She'd sensed the yearning in the young Apple foal's heart, a feeling as pure as it was familiar.

Applejack worked her jaw, avoiding the gaze of the princess. "......And if it ain't?" With a frustrated snort, she stood and began to pace, her heavy hooves trampling the orchard grass. "Landsakes, how would he even know? He's six, for Celestia's sake!"

Cadence was careful to keep her voice calm, as soft and soothing as a lullaby. "Children typically have a very strong sense of self." She said, folding her hands, "I'm sure Twilight can recommend some excellent reading on the subject. I was around the same age myself when I knew."

"Oh, sure." Applejack scoffed. "I reckon ya didn't. I bet yer folks just saw ya havin' fun in a pretty dress and leapt to the conclusion ya were transgender." She rolled her eyes. "And y'all say I'm confused. No offense, princess, but ain't it at least a little possible you woulda been different if yer parents hadn'ta been so eager to slap a label on ya?"

"I don't know about that." Cadence gave a rueful smile. ".....I can't actually remember my parents very much at all, Applejack. I'm told they passed away in an accident, back when I was still very small."

Applejack's eyes went wide, at the same time she sucked down a breath, nearly stumbling over herself to apologize. ".....Oh. Oh, horseapples, princess, I had no idea-" She leapt to lay her hands down on Cadence's shoulders, nearly engulfing them in her palms. "I'm so, so sorry sugarcube, I-I shouldn't have- I'm sorry-"

Cadence covered one of the mare's hands with her own. "Applejack, it's alright-"

"It's not!" Applejack argued. She snatched off her stetson hat, and began wringing it in her hands. "You were kind enough to come all the' way to Ponyville to help me an' Rare, and here I go stickin' my hoof in my mouth! I don't....I just don't know what's wrong with me lately."

Cadence smiled, soft and patient. "...I do."

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza knew many ponies viewed her as redundant. An unnecessary addition to a perfect trio of alicorn princesses. Celestia herded the sun across the sky, Luna bathed the land in moonlight, and Twilight preserved the harmony between the Sisters, between all ponies. What use was a pretty pink princess of love?

Ha. If only they knew her true power.

Cadence could see through Applejack as easily as peering into glass. She could sense all the turbulent emotions whirling through the draft pony- doubt, self-consciousness, hurt, humility, confusion. But Cadence reached deeper, until she found what she was looking for- a warm, golden, beautiful feeling, as rich and filling as honey.

Storge. Love of a mother for her child.

Cadence could sense it, fierce and maternal, as hard and unwavering as an oak tree. Yet it was polluted by another feeling Cadence knew all too well.

"You're afraid." The crystal princess said simply. Applejack flinched.

Cadence couldn't create love where there was none, but she could amplify it wherever it existed. And Applejack had a bountiful reserve to draw from. Lighting her horn almost imperceptibly, Cadence fanned the flames of this love. There was an image in Applejack's mind- a tiny golden foal with lavender curls. It was this image Applejack clung to, this image she'd had erected a wall in her heart to protect. With soft blue wisps of magic, Cadence began to chip away at the wall.

Predictably, Applejack resisted. "I.....I ain't afraid of nothin'." The draft pony stood up straighter, planting her hooves. "Not stampedes, not timberwolves, and not some new age hippie-dippie nonsense tellin' little boys they have to be little girls, just cause.....just 'cause he wants to wear eye shadow every now and then!"

"Even though your child asked to be referred to as a girl."

That gave Applejack pause. ".....It's a phase." She frowned, "Just a phase. It's gotta be."

Cadence maintained her gentle stream of magic, her horn glowing just a bit brighter, trying to coax more vulnerability out of Applejack. It felt rather like trying to lasso a rodeo bull with a shoestring. "I don't think that's true." She said firmly. "And you know it, Applejack."

"No, I don't." Applejack snorted. "My brother likes to dress in Celestia-damned drag, but that don't mean he wants to be a mare. I ain't exactly the most feminin' type myself, but that don't make me a stallion."

And just like that, Cadence had located a crack in the armor. She cranked her magic up ever so slightly. "....Of course not." She soothed. "After all, there's more than one way to be a mare. Would it bother you to be mistaken for a stallion?"

"A'course!" Applejack planted her hands on her hips. "As much as it'd bother any pony! Just 'cause I ain't slim and soft like you an' Rarity, it don't make me any less of a mare!"

"Interesting, very interesting." Cadence said carefully. "I seem to recall you and Rarity utilizing some magic to conceive your child. Rarity was shape-shifted into a stallion, correct?"

"....I wouldn't say that." Applejack hesitated. "Discord changed 'er body, gave her the, uh, the parts necessary for baby-makin'." Here she turned a bit pink, not wanting to be immodest. "But she was still my Rare." The earth pony insisted, "Still the same mare I've always known. No amount of magicky shape-shiftin' could change that."

Cadence leaned forward. "....Would you agree then, that it's up to a pony to define their gender? Not their 'parts'?"

"I....suppose....." Applejack said slowly, uncomfortably, sensing a trap. "But....but that doesn't change anythin'! T-that was different!" She gestured desperately, scrabbling for footing. "My boy ain't a girl, because- because-!"

"Because you say so." Cadence finished.

"Exactly!" Applejack flickered a little in her anger, knowing it was a weak defense, but unwilling to back down. "....Because I said so!"

"Mm. The oft-spoken phrase of a parent backed into a corner."

Applejack scowled. ".....It's worked fine so far."

"It won't for much longer." Cadence said lightly. "And I think you're afraid of that. I think your fear is clouding your mind." She reached out a hand, smiling, soft, eternally patient. "....But you're better than this, Applejack. I know you are. Don't you trust your own child?"

Furious and offended, Applejack balled her hands into shaking fists, her face curling into a snarl that could scatter a pack of timberwolves. "I-!"

"Jacqueline Apple." Cadence interrupted, her voice going hard as ice, "You and I both know what it's like to long for a mother. I would've traded my horn and wings for just one last embrace from mine, and I know you'd trade every apple in your orchard for the same. The ache never really goes away, does it?" Her tone became softer now, almost pleading. "Please don't subject your child to the same fate. To have a mother that refuses to see her for who she really is.....it'll be like having no mother at all. Maybe even worse."

Applejack sucked in a breath, looking gut-punched. "I-I didn't.....I'd never-"

"Be brave, AJ." Cadence dared to reach out. "The element of Honesty cannot be too afraid to see the truth."

"....I...." All the fight bled out of Applejack, tension and anger dissipating. Her hands dropped to her sides, and she only looked tired. "....The truth, huh." She gazed off into the distance for a moment, and her shoulders began to quake with dry, humorless laughter.

"....He said he didn't like his name, Cadence. Asked us for a new one." Applejack's voice hitched suddenly. "....Why? I....I just don't....."

Cadence gave one final nudge with her magic, coaxing out the release that was too long coming. Applejack could've pushed back. But deep down, Cadence suspected she'd wanted to give in. Had maybe wanted that all along.

Applejack was silent for a long time.

Then she drew a deep, shuddering breath, and began to cry.

Cadence was upon her at once, wrapping the earth pony in enormous lavender wings. "Shh," She soothed, "Shh, shh, Applejack, sweetheart, it's going to be okay-"

But the dam had broken, and Applejack wept like a child, knuckles against her eyes, choking on sorrow and shame and fear. "I c-can't-!" She cried out between sobs, "I can't- I-I....I-I hafta put on a brave face all the time....f-for the family's sake....but I've lost so much, princess." She finally looked up at Cadence, her green eyes wide and streaming. "And I don't know how much more I can bear! I lost my Ma and Pa, and G-Granny just last season.....I just can't.....I don't wanna lose my little boy too-"

”Oh, Applejack.” Cadence surged forward, looping her thin arms around Applejack in the tightest hug she could manage. “You love so hard and so honestly, even in the face of terrible loss. It's a quality I really admire about you.” She squeezed the draft pony’s hand with her tiny one. “But I’m sure you’ll find there’s nothing to be scared of. Your feelings are normal, but I promise your child isn't going anywhere."

”.....I dunno, Cadence." Applejack had produced a diesel-stained handkerchief from somewhere, and was dabbing clumsily at her eyes, still looking too lost for Cadence’s liking. "I.....I wish I could believe you, but I just don't know."

"Well, just think about it." Cadence tried. "Has she changed really? Besides just asking to be called a she?"

".....I......I-" Applejack faltered, "......I guess.....not. He's still my lil' sprout. Feisty and fulla' trouble, with frogs in his pockets and dirt in his hair. He likes to leaf through Rarity's dress catalogs and play with Apple Bloom's old dollies, but he's always done that." She glanced at Cadence nervously. "....Maybe I shoulda known. Do you think there's anything I could've done to....." She trailed off, unwilling to finish. The words felt wrong.

"To prevent your child being transgender?" Cadence finished gently. Applejack hung her head, ashamed of herself.

Cadence continued. "No more than you could prevent an apple seed from becoming an apple tree. No matter how sure you were that it was a fig tree, or a pine, or an oak....it can only be what it is." She looked to the draft pony, her eyes soft.

"Applejack, I want you to know I understand. When we hold our babies for the first time, we want the whole world for them, don't we? We dream of the things they'll accomplish, , the lives they'll lead, the kind of pony they'll be. But the fact is, our dreams may not align with our child's reality." She said firmly. "And in these instances, we're presented with a choice. Cling stubbornly to our illusion, and risk losing our child-"

Applejack winced.

"Or let go of our dream, and help our child build a new one." Cadence smiled. "This isn't the end, Applejack. I promise. It's the beginning. It's an opportunity to learn more about your child. It's a whole new adventure waiting for you and your family- but I don't think they want to set sail without you."

".....Without me?" Applejack echoed, her brows knitting. With her fist she scrubbed away the last of her tears, then heaved an enormous sigh. A final release. "......Landsakes. I reckon I've been pretty small-minded, huh?"

"You're here, Applejack." Cadence reminded kindly. "You're willing to learn. That's the most important thing."

Applejack sat down with an oof, the ground quaking at the impact. She tugged a stalk of grass loose, then placed it between her teeth, chewing thoughtfully.

"Was it.....hard for you, princess? Bein' the way ya are." She wavered. "Uh, if'n that's alright to ask, that is."

"I don't mind, Applejack. I consider you a friend, after all." The ever-present warmth in Cadence's voice retreated, and she mulled over her answer. ".....Yes." She said finally. "Yes, it was difficult. At least in the beginning. I was an orphan. I had no friends, no family to turn to. I had a name, but I didn't like it. It never felt like me. I was......lost, in more ways than one."

Applejack instinctively slid closer, bumping shoulders with the crystal princess.

"By some miracle, I was discovered by Celestia. And she became my family. She was so warm and encouraging....and when I told her I was a girl, she believed me." Cadence toyed with her hair, winding a curl around her fingers. ".....She was the first. I can't tell you what that meant to me, Applejack."

Applejack thought of her kitchen, where a small tribute to Celestia, queen of the harvest, was located. "...Reckon she really is the wisest pony in all Equestria." Applejack wagered, still tentative. "That's what Granny always said."

"She trusted me to know myself." Cadence closed her eyes. "That's wisdom beyond many ponies. Between her care and guidance, and befriending Shining Armor, caring for Twilight, for little Spike.....building the first family I'd ever known- I came to understand love." With a fond grin, Cadence hugged herself. "Including self-love."

"And ya became an alicorn." Applejack mused.

"More than that." Cadence beamed. "I became complete. And as long as I'm confident in who I am, it doesn't matter what other ponies think. I'm a trans mare, Applejack, and I'm proud. I'm a queen to my people, and a mother to two beautiful fillies, and a wife to the handsomest, goofiest stallion on the planet."

"That so?" Applejack dared to smile now, just a little, nervous, hopeful. ".....Sounds like a helluva happy ending."

"And your daughter will have a happier one still." Cadence clasped both Applejack's hands, nearly glowing with joy. "Because she'll have a mom like you."

"I....." Applejack's eyes welled up, at the same time she flushed red, embarrassed to be getting emotional twice. "Of course."

But Cadence caught uncertainty in her tone, a lingering question. Applejack frowned. "Will he...." Here she paused, grasping for the right words. "I mean....she.....Will she want to get surgeries and spells an' such? In the future, I mean.”

”That’s very possible.” Cadence nodded. “Ponies sometimes undergo medical procedures so their outside appearance can better reflect how they feel inside. There are a few specialists right here in Ponyville that can discuss plans with you, if and when your daughter is ready."

”And...” Applejack chewed her lip worriedly. “...Ponies might make fun of her, right? School foals and the like. They might tease, or....”

”That’s also a possibility.” Cadence frowned. “That’s why it’s going to be so, so important for you and Rarity to be supportive. Be willing to talk, listen, and grow with her. Be the rock she can stand on. Our world is full of kindness, Applejack, but sometimes ponies fear what they don’t understand. Fear turns to hate, and they try to hurt those that are different, be it through words, or.....through violence.”

”Try, huh?” Applejack’s jaw set, a deadly scowl clouding her face. “I’ll snap em like a twig first.”

”I'm sure you would." Cadence chuckled. "I can't say I wouldn't do the same." She playfully punched Applejack's arm, then winced, quickly hiding her bruised fingers behind her back.

"Heh. Oh, would you, your majesty?" Applejack turned to tease, "Here I thought a pretty pink thing like you'd be too delicate to sully yer royal hooves clobberin' bullies."

"Who're you calling delicate?" Cadence huffed, feigning great offense. "Haven't you heard of a little tyrant by the name of Sombra? The Shadow King, Master of Fear? No? Maybe that's because I blew him up."

"That you did, yer highness." Applejack snorted a laugh- a real laugh, for the first time that afternoon. The tension finally leaked out of her muscles, and she flopped back into the grass, sprawling out. "...Too bad it didn't stick."

Cadence humphed, but it was betrayed by her smile. ".....Did I answer all your questions? How do you feel?" She sat down in the grass, scooching closer. "Nervous? Worried? Scared?"

"All of the above." Applejack laughed, mighty shoulders shaking. "But underneath all that....I feel pretty good. For the first time since all this started, I feel like maybe.....maybe everything'll be okay." She reached and found her hat, lying abandoned in the wild grass. Plopping it properly on her head, she fixed Cadence with a broad grin. "Know how I know?"

"How?"

"Because Granny Smith ain't raise no quitter." Applejack said firmly. "Us Apples ain't the type to go abandonin' our kin over somethin' as simple as not understandin' em. I like work, princess. Me and Rare....we'll check out every damned book in Twilight's library if we have to. We'll talk to every pony we need to. Specialists, therapists, whatever it takes. For hi-" Applejack jerked, catching herself. "....For her. So we can understand. So we can be exactly what she needs."

"Sounds like you've got a pretty good understanding of love yourself." Cadence winked. "Don't go putting me out of a job now, Missus Apple."

"Pfft, I'll leave the mushy stuff to you, yer majesty. Me, I got a supper to put together." Applejack rose to her hooves, dusting herself off. "You'll be joinin' us, wont'cha? Cause I make a gumbo that'll knock yer fancy-pants tastebuds into next week."

Cadence folded her arms over her knees, chewing her lip in thought. "Tempting, Missus Apple, very tempting." She spared a quick glance to the evening sun dipping low on the horizon. ".....But I think I better be going. I've got some budget proposals to look over, and-"

"Please." Applejack said softly. "....To thank ya." She shuffled on her hooves, looking as nervous as a foal. "And....to meet my lil' apple. I think it's a good idea. I'm ready to try my damndest, Princess, but I'm still gonna blunder every now and then, I know it."

"Applejack-"

"I can't put myself in my so- my daughter's- horseshoes overnight. But you-" Applejack gestured to the princess- "You understand her already. And yer so sweet an' honest, and you've done so well for yerself- I was hopin' you could maybe be a role model?" AJ looked sheepish, turning pink. "I figured my kid could look to you and maybe see a lil bit of herself. Maybe see that there's ponies just like her out there. Maybe know that everythin's gonna be okay." She paused, nervously offering her hand. ".....If'n you don't mind, that is."

"Oh, Applejack, I think you're already far more thoughtful than you're giving yourself credit for." Cadence chuckled, then let Applejack help her to her hooves. ".....That gumbo better be delicious."

"Best you've ever had." A long ways downhill, Applejack could see her little family, barely more than technicolor dots from this distance, but a sight as familiar as it was comforting. Between the sweet scent of apples and the evening wind whispering through the grass, the earth pony couldn't remember why she'd ever been afraid. She looked back at Cadence and winked.

"I guarantee it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnolia is a feisty southern belle that likes wildflowers and new spring piglets, and she's also a trans lady. There was a strange, brief stretch of her childhood when everypony thought she was a boy, until she politely but firmly corrected them. After a lot of discussion and research, Rarity and Applejack took her into the hills of Sweet Apple Acres, and together they watched the clouds roll by, ate dandelion sandwiches, and set to work thinking up a new name. The magnolias happened to be in bloom, and the rest is history~

fun fact: Cadence mentions "storge" in reference to the many different kinds of love. Cadence gets kinda miffed when ponies assume her only domain is fairy tale romance between lovers, she's actually the alicorn of all forms of love:
Storge: love between family
Philia: love between friends
Eros: romantic love
Philautia: love for one's self

bonus doodle!: bonus headcanon: Rarity and Applejack end up opening their home to queer kids with nowhere to go, or no family to support them. You always have a home at Sweet Apple Acres!

relevant art:

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