“Wow.” That’s what Cadance said after hearing all of what Rainbow Dash had gone through the past few days. “I really don’t know what to say right now, Rainbow. You’ve gone through some intense things, but I do know there is definitely a way to solve this dilemma.”

“Dilemma?” Rainbow Dash laughed, “More like a freaking train wreck. The one pony I’ve had some interest for in the past six years or so and I get told off by my best friend over him. Now she’s mad, he’s lost, and I’m completely confused.” Rainbow looked out the window. The Crystal Empire was quietly sleeping, the lights of the city shining a muted light into the sky. “I mean, why would Applejack yell at me like that? We’re friends, even if I sleep with her brother she shouldn’t just scream at me like that.”

Rainbow Dash sipped her tea, it was hot enough to be soothing without burning, and the liquid fell down into her stomach to give her a warm feeling. Twilight had always tried to get her into drinking tea, it was one of the habits Twi had picked up from Celestia, but Rainbow Dash had always refused, tea drinking? That’s such an egghead thing. Now here she was, finding that tea can do a lot to comfort a pony.

Tea couldn’t solve her problem though, even if it was a really good distraction.

Cadance came out of her thinking space and turned to her friend,“Alright, Rainbow Dash, the way I see it you need to confront the two of them in a neutral place, maybe Sugarcube Corner, or Fluttershy’s house. Hey, speaking of Fluttershy, I am surprised you didn’t see her first.”

Rainbow Dash rubbed her neck, “Well as much as Flutters is my friend, she isn’t good with the romance stuff, ya know? She just gets all flustered and starts stammering or whispering. Most of the time, I’m the one telling her what to do in relationships, which is pretty backwards if you ask me.” Yeah, I can barely have a one-night stand without getting yelled at.

Wait, is that how I think about this? A one-night stand? I mean, the date was really nice and Big Mac showed a side of himself that he hasn’t shown anyone in a long time. Is that a sign that he wants more? Do I want more? Ugh, more tea. That should help.

“I can imagine she’s not the most open of ponies, so I guess coming to the Princess of Love is a smart second choice,” Cadance smirked.

“Good thing I’ve got a friend like that.”

“Yeah, good thing. Anyways, back to your situation,” Cadance took on a determined look, like this was her greatest mission, “Talk to them in a neutral place and be completely open about everything, and I mean everything. No secrets, no filter, you need to tell them all of your feelings. They may not like that, particularly Applejack if she got so upset with what happened, but it will clear the air before you can progress forward. That way you can talk about all of your futures.”

“Well, what if she doesn’t want to listen? What if she just wants to forget the whole thing ever happened? And what about Big Mac, maybe he just wants to move on too?”

“Hmm…” Cadance rubbed her chin in thought, “That’s tricky…”

After some time of thinking it over, Cadance responded, “I’d just let her do that then. If she doesn’t want to listen, then it won’t do much to try and change her mind. Even if she’s hurting from whatever it was that has her so upset, then she’ll have to come and talk to you on her own.”

“Well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that then.”

“Yeah,” Cadence smiled at her distraught friend, “it will work out Rainbow. Just hang in there for now, take some time to relax around here. For all we know, Applejack may be thinking this very same thing.”

Cadance suddenly smiled, as if trying to clear the depressing aura of the room, and took a sip of her tea, “So how’s Twilight doing? She looked like she hadn’t gotten out much the last time I saw her…”

The moon sparkled in the night sky as Rainbow and Cadence moved to talking about less serious topics, like Twilight’s weight and the Wonderbolts. The two laughed into the later hours of the night, enjoying the simple pleasure of each other. And though Rainbow was scared about what could happen, she knew that it would be alright.

Yeah, it’ll be alright.

*Knock Knock Knock*

The door shook slightly as Applejack announced her desire to enter. Her face was grim, the task ahead was not going to be painless or easy for her. Big Mac had been locked away in his room ever since he’d finished the chores and even then he’d barely talked, less so than usual. These were the signs that Applejack used to know her brother was not happy, and frankly they were obvious signs.

Another bout of knocking and Applejack sighed. It seemed her brother was not willing to open for her, but she decided to try and say something at least.

“Hey Big Mac, can I come in?”

“...”

“Listen, I know what happened today probably doesn’t make much sense, but I can explain everything.”

“Really?”

The gruff voice of her brother slightly startled Applejack, and her heart was racked with guilt from the contempt in his tone.

“Yes, I can, I swear on mah element.”

The door opened and on the other side stood Big Mac. He looked at Applejack with a harshly neutral glare, his usual straw piece was gone, replaced with just a pair of stern lips.

“Come in.”

Applejack took a seat on her brother’s bed, resting her hat by her side, and breathed.

“So, I may have said some things.”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t really mean to say what I said, ya’ll know that…”

“No, I didn’t know that Applejack. You seemed to be resolute in what you said to Rainbow Dash, especially with what you did to her.”

Applejack glanced at her hoof, then went back to staring at the wood floor. She felt guilty, so guilty, for everything. She hadn’t meant to get so angry, but seeing Rainbow with her brother just sparked something she’d been trying to hide for years now.

“Big Mac, I need to tell ya something. It’s really important, and I need you tah keep it a secret. Can ya do that?”

“Sure, as long as you can keep one too.”

“Yer actually speaking all fancy like? I knew ever since I caught ya in the orchards recitin’ Tennyson.”

Big Mac turned towards Applejack, “You know Tennyson?”

“You weren’t tah only one that went to Manehattan...”

“Okay, I’ll take that, now what did you need to tell me?”

“Right, here goes. Ya ever know that something is wrong, but it can't be changed? Like how we don’t have wings or horns, but we just have tah accept that? Well, I’ve known something for a few years now and it’s been causing me, well, I can’t really tell ya what it’s been causing, but it sure isn’t anything nice.”

Pausing to take some refresher breaths, Applejack looked straight at her brother.

“I’m gay Big Mac.”

The next few seconds seemed to spread out over Applejack’s entire lifetime. Applejack felt her courage wilting away quickly as she saw the still neutral glare of her brother; it pierced her like a spear.

“I’ve known fer a few years know, but I never told anypony. I found out while finishin’ up school here, I had always felt - different around mares. Everypony else was talking about colts and I just felt so, unaffected, I guess? Then I hit my first estrus and mah thoughts kept going back to mares in mah class. They were so pretty, Big Mac, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

At some point Applejack had fell back onto her brother’s bed, her body tired from the constant struggle to keep going, because now it was coming like a wave, all of her private worries and thoughts about herself came gushing out. She told Big Mac about the first time she clopped, and how it had been to a magazine she’d found on the side of the road.

Sexy Mares Magazine.

She told him about her first time with a stallion and how it had been so…

“Terrible, Big Mac, it was terrible. Not because he wasn’t good or anything, but because I was so confused. Every one of my friends said that it would feel good, but it just didn’t work. I felt pleasure, yeah, but it wasn’t right here,” Applejack motioned towards her heart.

Big Macintosh had set himself on the floor, listening to his sister tell all of her stories and concerns. But then she said something that had to prompt a response.

“That’s why I got so angry today. I’ve had a crush on Rainbow real bad for, well, as long as I’ve known her in Ponyville. Even before the elements I would see her in town and think of how beautiful she was. So seeing her with you, well it just set off years of tension. Oh, you think I’m some crazy mare, doncha?”

“Well, not really. You just have strong feelings for Rainbow Dash.”

“It kept gettin’ worse, every time we were together I thought about it. When we ran in the leaves, when we went to the Gala, every time. I could never muster the courage tah tell her though.”

“Well, maybe you should.”

“What, after yellin’ at her like that? She probably hates my guts right about now. There’s no way that she’s gonna want tah listen to me.”

“I think you’ll find that she’s a lot more considerate than you think. Give it a few days to rest, hopefully Rainbow Dash will come back from wherever she ran off to, and then we can all talk about it. You can tell her then, Okay?”

Applejack sighed, “Thanks Big Mac,” a weight had been lifted from her heart. She hugged her brother and then went to sleep, happier that she’d finally told somepony, but anxious to what the object of her anger, and desire, would think.

Author's Note

... I am so sorry that this took way too long. I mean, apart from work and videogames, there is no reason I can give for how long this took. Even George r.R. Martin is faster! Actually, no, we're still waiting on those dragons...

Anyways, thanks for reading this chapter, lots of juicy development here, especially AJ being gay! I figured that this was something that would not only explain why she lashed out, but also bring in some new areas to explore with this story.

Next time won't take as long. I would promise that, but we all know how that will turn out.

Thanks!

Edited by the phenomenal: Corwin Freiss