Apple Bloom tossed and turned fitfully in her sleep.
Earlier in the day, Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith had told her about the time Applejack's terrible and outrageous lying had led to calamity. The story had been as hilarious as it had been surprising and horrifying, and Apple Bloom had enjoyed it immensely, but now, hours later, something was bothering her.
As the first bright glow of dawn filtered through her window, Apple Bloom's eyes snapped open wide. "That's it!"
* * * * *
A wide-eyed, alert Apple Bloom with dark circles under her eyes joined the family at breakfast. "So hey, uhh..." She fiddled with her hooves. "There's one thing about y'all's story yesterday that don't add up."
"Oh?" Granny asked as she laid out grits and hay bacon on the table.
Apple Bloom looked around the table. "So, uhh...if'n Applejack wasn't much older'n Ah am right now when that all happened, that'd mean Ah wasn't born yet," she said. "But, well...y'all were fightin' over who'd take over th' farm, right?" She looked from Applejack to Big Macintosh. "But if'n this all happened before Ah was born, why were y'all goin' on about who was gonna run Sweet Apple Acres? Ah mean, Mama an' Papa woulda..." She trailed off, then added suspiciously, "An' for that matter, y'all didn't mention them even once in that whole story!"
The three elder Apples froze, looking at one another with deer-in-the-headlights expressions.
"W-well now," Applejack said, eyes darting back and forth, "they were, uhh...off campin'! Yeah, they was off campin' when all that happened! Shucks howdy, were they—"
"Nnnnope," Big Macintosh rumbled, frowning.
Applejack froze, her jaw working. "Second honeymoon?" Big Macintosh shook his head. "Vacation!"
"Nope."
"...off seein' Aunt an' Uncle Orange?"
Apple Bloom folded her hooves. "Okay, we all know you can't lie for beans, Applejack," she said. "Granny? You wanna give 'er a try?"
Granny coughed and looked away. "Whut's that y'say, dearie?" she asked loudly.
Apple Bloom groaned. "Big Mac?"
"Eeeeeeeenope."
Apple Bloom facehoofed. Glaring at Applejack, she said, "You do know Ah'm smart enough t' put two an' two together, right?"
"Ah have no idea whut you mean," Applejack said, looking pointedly away.
Apple Bloom planted her front hooves on the table and snorted steam. "Ah mean Mama an' Papa was already gone when all that happened, meanin' Ah wasn't born yet, meanin' they ain't mah mama an' papa." She pointed a hoof at Applejack. "Meanin' either Ah'm adopted, which Ah know Ah ain't, or mah real mama's you."
Applejack gulped. "Uhh...now that's...that's some mighty odd thinkin' there—"
"Which don't really surprise me," Apple Bloom cut her off. "Ah mean, it makes too much sense. Th' part Ah'm more bothered by is who mah daddy is." She glanced slowly at Big Macintosh, eyes narrowed.
"Ain't me," Big Mac grunted. "That's jes' sick thinkin'."
"So who is it?" Apple Bloom asked.
Applejack fanned herself with her hat. "W-well..."
* * * * *
"Thanks so much for helping me," Ditzy Doo said to Pinkie Pie as they sorted through stacks of birth certificates in the Town Hall archives. "I don't think I'd ever get all this sorted on my own!"
"Eh, I needed to update my files anyway. Lots of new ponies coming to town and a lot of new foals born lately," Pinkie said.
As Ditzy unstuck two birth certificates, she peered at one curiously, her lazy eye spinning. "Well this can't be right," she said.
"Hmm?" Pinkie took the certificate Ditzy was holding and looked at it. "Yeah, it's right," she said. She giggled. "Kinda funny, huh? Imagine if Diamond Tiara knew Apple Bloom was her half-sister..."