A Rotten Apples Confession:

"Granny, Big Mac, what are you doing here in Canterlot?"

"We came here for the wedding reception, and to check on my granddaughters, well that was until we got news that them Changeling varmints attacked the city." Granny Smith replied, "And just went we got off of the dang train."

The orange mare gulped, mentally kicking herself for forgetting about the originally planned reception. She then asks, "What about the farm? Did you let somepony to watch over Sweet Apple Acres?"

"Well of course," The elderly mare replied, "We let Caramel and his friends to watch over the place while we're gone."

Granny Smith then narrowed her eyes, "You alright Applejack? You seem rather jumpier than a jackrabbit after drinking a pot of coffee."

"Ooh, I can vouch for her!" Apple Bloom suddenly chirped. "Twilight crashed into the wedding hall after declaring the imposter princess!"

"Wait, what?!" Big Mac suddenly spoke up with shock, "Is this true?"

The orange mare glared at her little sister, "Gee, thanks Apple Bloom," she muttered before turning her gaze to her brother and grandmother.

"Well, we made it this far, no use of turning back now." Granny Smith said, "Tell us what happened."

Applejack sighed and told her family about what happened along with all the others. How they’d gotten the request from Princess Celestia to perform the various tasks of the wedding, and how all of them were happy except for Twilight who was mad that she hadn’t been told her brother was getting married till the last minute.

“Well ah can’t say I blame her!” Apple Bloom said. “I mean, I wouldn’t be too thrilled if Big Mac didn’t tell me he was getting married till the last minute either.”

Applejack looked down. “Yeah, I suppose I’d feel the same now that I think about it. But I felt Twilight was taking that much harder then needed. I thought she’d improve but things only got worse.”

She continued on, saying how Twilight had been convinced Cadance was unworthy of Shining Armor after seeing all those things. How Applejack and all the others had thought she was being possessive.

“Well she didn’t sound too nice from the sound of all that!” Granny Smith said.

“She wasn’t,” Applejack admitted. “I didn’t even notice the whole throwing my treats in the trash thing. I thought she was just trying to spare my feelings.”

Granny Smith frowned. “The truth is always better than a well-meant lie! You of all ponies should know that!”

“Yeah, you are the Element of Honesty!” Apple Bloom said. “So what happened after that?”

Applejack sighed. “Well, we tried to convince Twilight she was just being possessive and that it was probably just nerves. But she left claiming we were all too busy with our tasks to notice… and we later found out she was right. But by then the damage was already done.”

“Damage? What do you mean?” Granny Smith asked, raising an eyebrow.

Applejack sniffed, unable to hold back her tears. “We were made the new bridesmaids and came to the rehearsal! That’s when the worst happened. Twilight burst in and accused the princess… or the fake princess… we later found out… of being evil. She criticized the imposter’s treatment of us, said she did something terrible to her bridesmaids, and that she put some spell on Twi’s brother that made his eyes go…”

She rolled her eyes like Twilight had.

“That sounds awful!” Apple Bloom said.

“Then the fake princess cried and Shining Armor chewed Twilight out. He confirmed what we’d been trying to tell Twilight, that it was stress and Twilight wasn’t concerned about the wedding. He also said the spell was healing and then… banned Twilight from the wedding.”

“What?” Big Mac exclaimed, his mouth left wide open, nearly letting the piece of straw to fall out of his lips.

“That’s awful too!” Apple Bloom said.

“It was pretty bad,” Applejack said in remorse. “She looked like she was ready to start crying.”

She recalled feeling a bit bad for Twilight, somewhere deep down. But mostly she’d been angry, telling herself that Twilight brought it on herself… not giving the bride the benefit of the doubt and refusing to be happy for her brother on his wedding day.

"So did you comfort her?” Apple Bloom asked. "Or check on her? Comfort her and check on her?"

Applejack shook her head. “No… I… told everypony to go and check on the princess. We left her to go and do that.”

“What?” Granny Smith exclaimed with the energy of a younger mare. “You all just left her there all sad?”

“Yeah,” Applejack said, staring at the floor, too ashamed of her actions. “And then we learned that while we were looking for the princess, she sent Twilight down to the caverns beneath Canterlot.”

Apple Bloom’s mouth fell open. “Applejack! Twilight’s your friend! How could you do that?”

“Cause I thought she was acting like a schoolfilly! Applejack said defensively. “She didn’t even have proof that Cadance… or the fake Cadance was up to no good! She just wildly accused her and acted possessive the whole time! All of us had put a lot of work into that wedding to make it perfect as well! Especially cause it was Twilight’s brother! And she just seemed so ungrateful and wouldn’t grow up!”

“That’s no excuse Applejack!” Granny Smith said with a wrinkling frown. “Don’t matter if she had proof or not! She is your friend! And friends have each other’s backs! I will admit her execution was not very dandy! But what you did was way over the top of the haystack! And from the sound of it turns out she was right! But even if she’d been wrong that doesn’t make your treatment of her fair! I’m very disappointed in you!”

“I know Granny,” Applejack said, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Your friend could have been killed!” Granny Smith pressed. “You deliberately ignored all the signs that seem rather obvious when somepony really looks! And what’s worse, you put your own little sister in danger!”

She gestured to Apple Bloom who shivered while also tearing up at the thought of her elder sister doing such a thing.

“I was trying to help the pony that needed comfort,” Applejack said.

“Sounds to me like Twilight needed comfort as well!” Big Mac said. “How would you feel if I banned you from my wedding for some reason! That was way over the top on his part! Even if she’d been wrong it would have just been a big misunderstanding! What you think if somepony cast a spell on me that apparently my eyes go all-"

He rolled his eyes and Applejack was at a loss for words.

“Maybe he would have been right to strip her of her Best Mare position!” Big Mac continued. “But kicking her out of the wedding? That’s going too far!”

"And you abandoning her is the same!” Granny Smith said. “You were all goo-goo because that princess was getting married and made you… a random pony she didn’t even know, a bridesmaid! That may have been a big honor, but it clearly a bribe and she had you wrapped around her hoof with it!”

Applejack sighed. “You’re right Granny Smith, I was played like a complete foal, and only Twilight saw the truth, unlike me!”

“Regardless of your good intentions, you turned your back on a friend in a time of need. Doesn’t matter if she didn’t present evidence of her accusations. All those things were clear signs yet you didn’t listen!” Granny said. “And you endangered not only your friend, or your little sister! But all of Equestria by not listening!”

"Yep!” Big Mac said with a frown. “If Mom and Dad were here, they’d be very disappointed in you!”

Applejack looked down in shame, unable to deny that. Her parent’s faces appeared in her minds eye, frowning at her.

“We’re lucky that we made it through,” Granny Smith said. “But what about your relationship with Twilight.”

Applejack looked up. “She… hates me now.”

“Well I can hardly blame her!” Granny Smith said, shaking her head. “This is about the most dishonest thing I’ve ever known you to do! It makes that time you lied so much as a filly look tame!”

“What?” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Applejack lied as a filly?”

“So much that the whole family ended up in the hospital!” Granny Smith said.

“Yep,” Big Mac said with a frown. “And this is at least ten… if not a hundred times worse!”

Applejack sighed once again. “You’re all right. I didn’t listen to my friend and I abandoned and endangered her as well my little sister and all of Equestria. I’ve been a real rotten apple.”

“Darn tooting,” Granny Smith agreed.

Big Mac and Apple Bloom nodded with frowns.

“Can y’all ever forgive me, or rather, WILL you forgive me?” Applejack asked hopefully. “I know what I did was wrong. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to y’all.”

Granny Smith sighed before letting out a warm smile. “Well, it all worked out in the end and nopony was permanently harmed it seems. Like I always say family stick together. But this is a major mistake!”

"I know Granny,” Applejack said, nodding her head. "But, this time, I'm more than ready to make amends."

Apple Bloom sighed. “I made my own major mistake with the Gabby Gums column. But you forgave me… so I guess we’re even now?”

She walked over and hugged her big sister. Applejack managed a smile.

“Thanks lil’ sis,” the cowgirl pony said.

Big Mac stepped forward. “I hope you’ve learned something from this.”

“I did,” Applejack said. “I’ve learned to stick by my friends, even when they might act wild and possessive. I shouldn’t abandon them for somepony I’ve just met.”

Big Mac nodded. “Yep. But sounds like you need to make it up to Twilight somehow.”

“You’re right,” Applejack agreed. “If she’ll somehow forgive me. But… I initiated the abandonment in the first place. How can I ever earn her forgiveness?”

“You have to at least try,” Apple Bloom chirped. “I wasn’t sure you would forgive me when I did the whole Gabby Gums thing. Just… try and apologize… really well.”

"Speaking of which," Granny Smith added, glaring at Big Macintosh and turning her head to Applejack "While I ain't happy what Apple Bloom and her friends did that day, but neither the two of you did or said to the three of them."

Both APplejack and Big Macintosh looked at each other with a frown, then to Apple Bloom and to each other again.

"Did the two of you forgave Apple Bloom for that stunt?" The elderly mare asked sternly.

"Of course we did!" Applejack replied suddenly, "Sure we were mad at Apple Bloom and her friends, but not like this."

"Then how do we know that it's not like the same with Twilight and her brother?"

Both Applejack and Big Mac are stunned from their grandmother's question.

"B-b-but Granny!" Big Macintosh stammered out, "That was different from Twilight and her brother, it's not like we kicked Apple Bloom and her friends away to-"

Granny Smith raised her hoof to stop Big Mac from speaking. The stallion stopped speaking and lowered his head in shame along with his younger sister.

"Both of you're dang lucky that Apple Bloom and her friends made that apology in time." Granny Smith said, "But let's ask Apple Bloom herself."

"What we did was wrong when we were Gabby Gums," Apple Bloom said, "But I'll admit that I still felt hurt what you said to us. I wasn't sure if you'll love us again."

"What? Of course not!" Big Mac exclaimed, "We would've forgiven you if you were apologized and we all did."

"No matter what Apple Bloom, we're family." Applejack added.

Granny Smith smiled before asking her youngest granddaughter, "What do you say Apple Bloom?"

"Thanks you two, but I think you can save the apology for me later, and focus on Twilight."

Applejack nodded with confidence. “Thanks. I will.”

And she made her way back to the others.

Author's Note

Special Thanks goes to SamSwordsman123 for writing Applejack's chapter.