Chapter 4: good talk, bad discovery PART 1

The two mares trotted to Ponyville in silence. They just looked at the cobbled streets, home to ponies who went by not paying any attention to the two friends. Applejack couldn't stop worrying for a few long moments. She began to understand how Fluttershy felt with all the hectic thoughts flying around her mind, like the cyan pegasus flying above her.

To Applejack, Rainbow Dash was her closest and most relatable friend, more than any of the other Element Bearers. She could understand Rainbow, her drive for success and the loyalty to her friends. It hurt so much to hide such an important development. Applejack didn’t what to hurt any of her friends, family or the Shadowbolt in her barn. With each step towards the market Applejack evaluated her options...

Firstly she could tell Rainbow about the Shadowbolt, then she could move on and not feel the pain with every lie she makes, but that plan had a down side. Potentially, Rainbow could flip and attack the already-injured stallion and that wouldn't end well for anypony.

Her second option: she could continue to lie to her best friends and get the guilt from the untruthful actions, but by doing that she could protect the stallion letting him leave to return without and arguments

Both options where no good. She would feel like the bad pony either way but then something hit her: why should she be protecting a potential villain? So what if he was injured? He's bad…. right?

"Applejack?" asked Rainbow. She had noticed her friend mumbling, only being able to hear the odd word, such as 'friends' or 'option'. It was clear as the sky that something was eating at the orange mare.

"Yes Rainbow?" Applejack looked up to face Dash, who looked concerned.

" What are you hiding from me?" Rainbow’s magenta eyes looked deep into Applejacks like she was searching for the truth. That look scared Applejack but she would never admit it .

Applejack chuckled nervously. "What do ya mean, Rainbow?" She knew what her friend was asking, so why did she still lie?

Rainbow Dash flew down to trot alongside her friend, "When you came out your parents’ barn, you said 'I can't tell Rainbow about this'. What can’t you tell me about?”

"Oh, that. Well... it's nothing’, really!"Applejack cringed. She knew Rainbow would never accept that fail of an excuse. What was she turning into?

"Then tell me about it!" Rainbow Dash insisted.

Applejack looked down to her hooves. "I can't, sugercube." She needed an escape. Her need to get away was getting too common. This was the second time in the last hour that she needed to run and hide. Applejack was never the type of pony to run away from her responsibilities.

"Come on AJ. You can tell me." A warm smile was plastered across Rainbow’s face; a smile of her loyalty to her loving friends. Could Applejack really lie? Again?

"Cuz it... it... it's for yer birthday!" The farmer prayed to the sun and moon that Rainbow would just accept her excuse and move on.

Rainbow tilted her head and gaped. "But... my birthday’s not for another month."

"Best to start planning early," Applejack replied, sporting a smile what would make anypony suspicious.

"Are you sure you not lying to me AJ?" Rainbow asked, leaning in close.

That’s it, She'd had enough of this. Rainbow was starting the tick her off. She frowned and snapping back at the pegasus "No, Ah’m not! Will ya drop it already, before Ah feel like droppin’ you?" She didn’t mean to come across so bad tempered.

RD cringed, not sure how she should take her friend’s outburst "Touchy!"

Applejack just snorted

Rainbow had gone home shortly after discovering selling apples "needs to be cooler", but in some ways Applejack was thankful. She had gotten home just before tea, which Granny Smith had taken care of.

Applejack sat with her head in her hooves. Today she was just drained. Normally she could buck trees for hours and still have time and energy to visit all her fellow Element Bearers, but today she had been through too much and all she had done was lie.

At the small dining table, her older brother was counting the bits she had gotten from today’s sales. Apple Bloom was helping Granny dish out the fresh cooked apple pie.

"Hey Granny?" Apple Bloom asked, jumped up. While ladling out the servings for dinner she had noticed something strange.

"Yes dear?" Granny Smith said, looking down at her creative granddaughter with a simple smile.

"Why is there 5 plates of food?"

Applejack looked up in shock, her eyes widening. Granny! She couldn't have known, could she?