Apples and Honesty

"Three princesses," Rarity said. "Three. PRINCESSES. And here you said you were bored, and you had nothing. Applejack, that was a very low blow, particularly for the Bearer of Honesty."

Applejack smirked in that infuriating way she had, still lounging in her chair. "Y'all don't like the game, y'all don't have to play." She came back up to a more normal position. "But Ah don't get what honesty has t' do with it. That some kinda big-city thing?"

"Applejack." Rarity put both hooves on the table and loomed towards the farmpony. "You are SUPPOSED to be the Bearer of Honesty. You just won a game of Dodge Junction Hold 'Em with FLAGRANT. BRAZEN. LIES. How can you NOT SEE that there is some sort of contradiction there?!"

Applejack blushed and rubbed her neck with her right forehoof. "Well, Ah admit it ain't somethin' Ah'm proud of, but it's how ya play th' game, an' Ah don't get what it has t' do with honesty. Now, zap honesty Ah could see carin' about all this, but ordinary honesty ain't exactly got ears."

Rarity just stared. "And what, pray tell, is zap honesty?"

Applejack blinked. "That's what we make inta jam, remember? We sell Filthy Rich a hundred jars a year? Princess Celestia once got caught eatin' it straight outta th' jar?" Neither Applejack nor Rarity noticed Twilight's shame-faced attempt to stop them at that point. "Most famous product of Ponyville, 'part from somepony's dresses and somepony else's modellin' photos?"

Fluttershy gave a faint squeak and hid under the table.

"Applejack..." Rarity fumed. "One cannot make jam out of honesty. What will you propose next, distilling loyalty into hard liquor?" (Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie shared a whisper, an elbow nudge, and a titter.) "Pickling generosity?" (Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash shared a whisper, an elbow nudge, and a titter.) "Shall Savoir Fare offer friendship-and-daisy sandwiches? For all that I respect your livelihood, dear Applejack, you surely understand that a concept of moral philosophy is something other than a food product!"

"Rarity," Applejack said, evenly, "Ah have absolutely no idea what y'all are talkin' about."

Rarity deflated somewhat, and returned to her chair, favoring Applejack with a disgusted huff.

A long moment of silence ensued.