Chapter 2: Applejack: Who is She Crushing On?

Applejack chuckled. "Shoot ah'll go first," she announced with a calm smile.

"Excellent." Rainbow grinned slyly, rubbing her hooves together slowly. "So, what'll it be, AJ? Truth or dare?"

"Ah'll have a different approach this time," AJ decided. "Ah usually pick Dare, but this time ah'll pick truth." She turned to Rarity. "And Rarity can ask me anything."

"Hey! No fair!" Rainbow Dash said. "Anypony ask you a question."

"Is that a rule?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rainbow glared at her. "You win this round, Apple Butt, but next time, I'll get you good," she said. Rainbow sipped some punch from a cup she served herself.

"So, Rare, what's the question?" Applejack asked. She was positive Rarity was going to ask if she liked being Apple Jewel and dressing up like a doll. But Applejack had detested it. She didn't like acting like some pony she wasn't, especially if she had to act like a classy mare. Dressing up, she could do. And doing it with an air of the country, easier.

Rarity giggled. "Well, there's always been this one thing I've always wanted to know," she said.

"Go ahead, Rarity," Applejack insisted. Answering was going to be a piece of apple pie with cherries on top.

"Who do you have a crush on?" Rarity asked excitedly.

Rainbow Dash burst out laughing. She rolled on the floor, and said, "Here's your karma, AJ!"  Pinkie Pie looked on with a slight interest. Rarity looked incredibly sly, one of her eyebrows slightly raised while batting her eyelashes. Fluttershy blushed as if realizing she should have skipped this week's sleepover, and Twilight looked slightly uncomfortable.

Applejack blushed deeply. "Ya know, I think a dare is better," she said hurriedly, "so ah'll just accept a dare!"

"Nope! You can't change your decision!" Rainbow Dash said.

"But that ain't a rule!" Applejack argued, doing her best to avoid the question. She couldn't answer. It was the biggest secret Applejack had kept for anyone for a long while. She had to keep her secret. Especially from a certain pony...

"Arrrghhh!" Rainbow Dash growled in frustration.

"It's alright darling," Rarity said to the rainbow speedster. "I do have a very ironic dare for our dear Applejack."

"It better have nothing to do with dresses," Applejack warned. Even she could hear the hint of fear in her voice.

"Applejack, I dare you to tell everypony here who your crush is," Rarity said.

More laughter came from Rainbow Dash. Applejack tilted her hat slightly down so her friends wouldn't see her blushing beyond red. She heard Rarity say, "You can choose truth again, darling, but we're only going to go back and forth."

"It's better than telling," Applejack mumbled.

"What was that?" Rarity asked.

"Ah said it's better than telling!" AJ exclaimed.

Rarity giggled and Rainbow Dash munched on some more chips.

Fluttershy trotted over to Applejack. She tentatively took off AJ's hat and whispered into her ear, "Come on Applejack. Maybe you'll feel more comfortable telling us by knowing I have a secret crush, too."

Applejack's ears perked up. Fluttershy had a secret crush, too? This was news to her ears.

"If somepony asks me about my crush, I promise I'll tell if you tell," Fluttershy said.

"You would do that for me?" Applejack asked uncertainly.

"Well, of course," Fluttershy replied. "If you get embarrassed, I get embarrassed. It's what friends do for each other."

Applejack smiled. "Thanks, Flutters," she whispered.

"Anything for my friend," Fluttershy said. She flew back to her bed, everypony waiting for an answer.

Applejack gulped. She trusted Fluttershy but telling everypony was going to be hard for her. She felt sweaty and dizzy.

"C'mon, AJ, we're waiting!" Rainbow Dash said in a mocking tone.

"Do ya really wanna do this, Dash?" Applejack asked. "Ya don't know who it is that ah like. And the truth can change ya. That's mah burden as the Element of Honesty. Knowing the truth is powerful in more ways than one."

Rainbow Dash sneered at her. "And my burden as the Element of Loyalty is I prefer my friends than something else I love. Just go ahead already! I wanna know who you're crushing on!"

Applejack was filled with anger. Rainbow Dash didn't understand honesty. That was what separated Applejack and Rainbow Dash. AJ was cautious and knew what was best, but Rainbow was careless and brash. Well, more careless and brash than Applejack, at least. But Rainbow didn't understand. "OK, fine!" Applejack yelled. "Ya really wanna know who ah like? Fine!"

AJ took a jagged breath. "I have a crush on Soarin'!"

The silence that filled the room was an awkward one. Rarity and Pinkie Pie stared at Rainbow Dash. Everypony knew Rainbow Dash and Soarin' were going to hit it off. Rainbow Dash had started talking about Soarin' almost daily when Rarity brought up Fancy Pants. Rarity and Fancy Pants were definitely going to start dating, too. So knowing Applejack liked Soarin' complicated things. Rainbow Dash blinked like Applejack had spoken in a different language.

"Oooooh! Saucy!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa!" Rainbow said. "Whoa!"

"I very much regret daring you to say that," Rarity admitted.

"Why do you like him?" Twilight asked.

Applejack sighed, taking off her hat. "Well, ah first met him at the first gala we all attended," she explained, "when he bought an apple pie from me. After the gala, he bought another few pies and we started talking. He was really nice to me, which ah didn't expect. We hung out a few times after that. Then I started having these emotions that ah couldn't explain. But Rainbow Dash and Soarin' like each other, so ah knew ah could tell no pony. Until now, that is."

"And you just decided I didn't need to know about this?" Rainbow yelled. "Especially the meetings! Not one of your friends knew about this! Mares and gentlecolts, Applejack, the Element of Honesty!"

"There aren't any gentlecolts in the castle right now, Dashie!" Pinkie giggled. She suddenly gasped. "Unless they're hiding under one of the beds!" Pinkie Pie ducked under every bed, looking for a hiding colt.

"I'm pretty sure there aren't any colts here, Pinkie," Twilight said.

"Then can ya help me with these emotions?" AJ yelled. "'Cause ah I can't! All ah've tried to forget about Soarin' didn't work. Ever since you started talking so much about Soarin' ah've done mah best to keep these feelings down! But ah can't, ah just can't!"

"I can't because I feel the same way about Soarin', which means you' should get some advice from Cadance!" Rainbow Dash's muzzle scrunched up. "But you can't. And now I can't imagine what will happen if you choose dare on your next turn." She glared at her and stretched her wings.

Applejack gulped. This was the last thing she wanted to happen. There would be no telling what Rainbow Dash would dare her to do if she chose dare on her next turn. Anything could happen. Something could happen which would make Applejack want to pick dare again.

"I think we should move on," Fluttershy said quietly.

"Agreed." Twilight looked at Applejack with pity. The Apple looked incredibly guilty and flustered. Right now, she really needed a friend.

Twilight went over to Applejack and comforted her with a wing. "It'll be OK, AJ," she said.

AJ smiled. "Thanks, Twi," she said, resting her head on Twilight's shoulder.

Was it just Twilight's imagination, or did Applejack's heart beat speed up?