Poison Kiss

After dinner, I stop by at Sugar Cube Corner to buy Apple Bloom a cupcake so she wouldn't run away again. Pinkie Pie gave us a  tray, fresh out of the oven. "What's wrong with Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom asks.

"She's just upset cause' she made a big mistake. She says I ain't supposed to tell nopony what happened. It ain't none of mah business anyway. I ain't getting' involved with it. Ah hate drama." I say.

"Is it really that bad, sis?" She asks.

"Yeah. Ah don't know if ah could keep a secret though." I say.

Pinkie Pie springs behind us and shouts " What are you talking about! It sounds really exciting."

"Um, we were talkin' about what we saw when we went to the Everfree Forest." I say trying to twist the truth.

"The Everfree Forest? That place gives me the creeps. Did you see any monsters or scary stuff?" She asks leaining her head in.

"We weren't there for that long. " Apple Bloom says.

"Did ya see Rarity around? I have to return this dress ah borrowed." I say.

"A dress? You borrowed a dress? Oh my god! I want to see it put it on." She says ding a back flip into the air. I scowl at the dress for a few seconds and then put it on. Pinkie Pie lets out a screechy gasp.

"It's so pretty! It reminds me of the time we all went to the Galloping Gala together." She squeals.

"Ah, know this seems a little off topic, but do ya have some duct tape ah could borrow? Ah kind of need to keep mah mouth shut." I say.

"You do too? Small world! Lucky for you, my parents always have duct tape for when they don't want to listen to me talk." She says.

"Just put a strip of it on her mouth." Apple Bloom says. She sticks the sticky duct tape on my mouth.

"Have you seen Fluttershy around? She seems to be taking it really hard that she had to let her bunny go." She says.

"MmMmM!" I say.

"What? I can't understand you. I'm going to take off your duct tape." She says.

"Wait! Don't!" Apple Bloom says.

She rips the duct tape off my mouth and a I feel a tickling burning sensation on my lips. The duct tape has a couple of orange hairs scattered around it.

"Ow! Ah saw Fluttershy on mah way through the Everfree Forest!" I say through clenched teeth.

"Oh, what was she doing there?" She says.

"She got lost after she released her bunny there." Apple Bloom lies.

"That's weird. Tunesong was supposed to go with her. He said he knew the Everfree forest like the back of his hoof. I guess he counts his chickens before they hatch." Pinkie Pie says.

"Chickens? What's that got to do with anything? Who's Tunesong? What's goin' on?" Apple Bloom asks.

"We better get goin'." I say.

" Okie-Dokie-Lokie! Don't bite the hoof that feeds you!" She says. Apple Bloom and I look at each other and shrug as we walk out the door. I go home and lock us into the barn.

" Seriously, who is Tunesong?" Apple Bloom asks.

"Rarity's boyfriend, who used to date Twilight." I say in a disgusted tone.

"What's so bad about him?" She asks.

"He kissed Fluttershy." I mutter. Did I just say that out loud?

"What?" She says. I don't answer I just put duct tape over my mouth again. She rips it off.

" That ain't ever gunna' work, Applejack. Now tell me what happened." She says.

"He kissed Fluttershy." I say again. It felt so good not letting the secret stay bottled up inside.

"Why? I thought he was with Rarity." She says.

" He is. You can't tell no pony ah told ya this. What goes on in the barn stays in the barn. Do ya understand?" I say.

"Ah understand. You're gunna spill like a glass of milk." She says.

"Ah got an idea. Ah need to go see Rainbow Dash. See ya later, sugarcubes." I say.

On my way to Rainbow Dash I see Spike and Twilight Sparkle sulking again outside the library. They greet me. "What's the matter." I ask.

" I thought Rarity felt the same way about me as I do about her." Spike says placing his claws on his chin and sighing.

" I don't think Tunesong is right for Rarity and nopony will listen to me." Twilight says.

"Ah will. Tell me everything ya know about him." I say.

"We went out for two months he was so nice to me. He would buy me gifts and practice magic with me. He was the most hansome unicorn in school. I felt so lucky to have him around. I went to all of his performances to cheer for him, and then I'd study at night. He had to play piano for Trixie's Magic Show, one day. They fell madly in love with each other during all the rehearsals. He even lied to me saying he had practice with her even though he was taking her out to eat. One day he told me that I wasn't his type and he didn't love me anymore. He says that he didn't like dorky girls. He wanted someone who was good at magic, pretty and smart. I'm only two out of the three. I'm not good enough for him. " She says.

"He really hurt her feelings. I don't want him to do the same to Rarity. She'd be so much better off with me. I don't know why she doesn't love me back." Spike says.

"Twilight you ain't just good at magic, you rock at magic, you ain't just pretty, you're beautiful, you ain't just smart, you're a super genius. Don't let anypony convince ya otherwise. Mares all over the place wanna be just like you. You'll find the right guy someday." I say.

"Do you really think so?" Twilight asks.

" Ah know so. Would your best friend ever lie to you?" I ask.

"No. I guess not." She says.

" Do you think he's right for Rarity." He says.

" No. Ah don't think you're right for Rarity either. One day you might meet a beautiful young dragon. Dragons ain't supposed to love unicorns." I say.

" I hate being a dragon." Spike says.

" There's a lot of good things about bein a dragon. You can breathe fire and eat gems without breakin your teeth. That's pretty cool. Don't let nopony make you stop being who you are. You were born that way for a reason." I say. I thought about what I just said. I should follow my own advice. Rainbow Dash said my job is lame but I like my job. Why should I let her opinion get to me? Rainbow Dash! I almost forgot my plan!

"Ah gotta go talk to Rainbow Dash! See yall later." I say.

I trot around Ponyville with my head into the air searching through the clouds. She's doing a triple flip into the air. She dives through the clouds and lands an her hooves. "What's going on Applejack? What are you going to do with that stick." She says pointing at the giant stick in my mouth.

" Ah want you to do somethin for me." I say.

" What is it?" She asks.

" Ah want ya to hit me over the head as hard as ya can. Don't ask questions." I say.

" I don't want to hit you. Why do I have to?" She says.

" Ah saw somethin' I didn't wanna see and ah want to forget about it but ah can't." I say.

"I don't think this is such a good idea. Are you sure you want me to whack you over the head with the stick." She says.

"Just do it." I say.

"As hard as I can?" She asks.

"Yes, as hard as ya can." I say. She takes the stick swings it into the air and bonks me over the head with it. WHACK! I see a red flash of light and my vision blurs for a few seconds. My head throbs.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

"Yeah, ah can't say the same 'bout the stick" I say. We chuckle at the broken stick.

"I guess that's why they call you stubborn and hardheaded." She says.

"Ah need to be hit again Ah can stil remember everything." I say.

"I don't want to hurt you. I already feel bad about what I said the other day." She says.

" You didn't say anything that bad the other day." I say.

" It worked. You forgot our conversation!" She says.

" No it didn't. If it did ah wouldn't still be able to remember that Fluttershy kissed Tunesong! Shoot!" I say putting a hoof over my mouth.

" What?" She says.

" You can't tell nopony Ah told you this. It was only an accident. Ah was trying not to tell anypony but it keeps spilling out. Ah can't seem to git it off mah mind." I say.

" I promise I won't tell." She says.

" Good." I say spitting on my hoof. She does the same and we shake on it.