//------------------------------//
// Confessions 
// Story: Change 
// by Just A Random Pegasus 
//------------------------------//

Applejack walked down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. She knew what had to be done, but she sure wasn't ready. How would her friends react knowing that she had kept a secret from them for months?

She walked into the kitchen, seeming to immediately catch the attention of her younger sister and, consequently, Marble. "There she is! AJ, ya want some?" Apple Bloom asked, shaking a box of cereal as Applejack approached the table.

"Ah'm good, AB," Applejack responded, sitting down. As soon as she did, Apple Bloom lazily poured a bit of cereal on the table in front of Applejack. 

"Oh well. You're gettin' some anyway."

Applejack looked at the cereal for a second before rolling her eyes, trying to pick it all up. "Thanks, Ah guess. Ah'm not that hungry today," she replied, eating a few bites. There were so many nerves exploding within her that just eating made her feel a bit sick.

"Well, ya should still eat somethin'!" Apple Bloom naively responded, turning to Marble. She said something, but Applejack wasn't paying attention. She rubbed her forehead, her concentration soon broken by her sister yelling.

"Ah'll be off! Say, where's Granny?" She asked. Applejack turned her head towards her.

"She's sleepin'," she replied, gesturing to the living room. 

Apple Bloom nodded. "Well, alright. See ya!" She replied, leaving the house for school. As she did, Applejack looked over to find that Marble was finishing her cereal, smiling.

"This is really good."

Applejack nodded, trying her best to come off as if nothing was bothering her. "Ah could get more if ya like. Y'all are workin' here, after all. Whatever ya want, we can provide."

Marble smiled. "Thank you. But I have a feeling Apple Bloom will ask anyway." 

Applejack nodded. "Yeah. Also, y'all don't have ta work this mornin'," she said, her eyes darting.

Marble tilted her head. "Huh?"

Applejack nodded. "Yeah. Ah told ya Ah have ta tell y'all somethin'. Ah'm gonna tell Rarity as well. She adores romance, she'll understand better than anyone else. You can come because Ah feel y'all have a right ta know," she answered, feeling her heart pump more and more. She hadn't kept a secret in forever, and from this experience, she knew that she should just stick to her element and not keep something like this from her friends in the future. 

Marble blinked. "Oh. Well, alright. It's alright if you don't want to tell anyone."

Applejack shook her head. "Nah. Ah really should. Keepin' secrets is a bad idea." She stood up. "So... do ya wanna go?"

Marble nodded. "Sure thing."

Applejack turned and started to walk out of the barn, adrenaline coursing through her body. How would her friends react to her going against her element? Not well, that's for sure. She felt bad for leaving Marble a bit behind, but surely she would understand after Applejack told her. It would be more manageable to tell all of her friends separately, but she wondered: would it be truly easier? After a few seconds of pondering, she came to the conclusion that it would be much easier. After all, that way, she wouldn't have to deal with everyone exploding at her at the same time. 

Applejack let more thoughts flow through her head, suddenly remembering the work she had to do. She grunted. "Hopefully Mac won't bug me about missin' a few minutes of mornin' work."

Marble stepped up beside Applejack. "Are you going to tell him what's going on?"

Applejack's eyes widened as she thought about it. "Well... not now. He'll be real mad." She sighed. "Marble... a word of advice from me."

"Yes?"

"... Don't keep secrets for too long. Otherwise, they have a way to be spilled in the worst and most embarrassin' way imaginable," Applejack replied. She didn't want anyone stuck in the situation she was currently in.

Marble hesitated a moment. "I'm sorry."

Applejack immediately felt her ears perk, completely forgetting how bad Marble felt the night before. "Don't worry, it's not yer fault. Ah'm just sayin', stuff like this happens more often than ya would think."

Marble's ear flicked. "So... you're saying I shouldn't keep the Choosing Stone a secret from Mac too much longer or else it'll come out in a way I don't want it to?"

Applejack nodded quite frantically. "That's exactly what Ah'm sayin', Marble."

Marble seemed to consider her words for a moment. "Alright. I'll try to tell him as soon as possible."

Applejack was pleased with her answer, her mind instantly flashing back to how Marble wanted to ask him out. "Do ya wanna buy lilies for him? We'll be by the market, so maybe ya can."

Marble very noticeably blushed. "Um... I guess so."

Applejack nodded. "Alright. We'll do that after visitin' Rarity."

"Alright."

The rest of the short journey was plagued by silence, Applejack's mind going crazy. She knew Rarity would understand... right? No, she certainly will. After all, she's a sucker for all types of romance, and has more than likely read a book about a situation similar to Applejack's. She would probably be more understanding than others... Rainbow Dash in particular. Oh, when Rainbow finds out, she will explode...

Applejack looked up, seeing the boutique in front of her. "We're here," she said, drawing Marble's attention. Applejack walked into the boutique, looking around for her friend.

"Rarity?" She called.

"Just a minute!" Rarity replied from somewhere in the boutique. After a second or so, Rarity emerged from a large rack of clothes, proudly smiling. "Sorry about that, dear! I just finally finished putting up my new line! Isn't it fabulous?"

Applejack nodded, not able to look at Rarity. "It sure is. But, anyways, Ah have somethin' ta tell ya, Rarity," she said, her voice wavering. 

Rarity's eyes gleamed. "Wait... gossip?! Oh, count me in!" She said, sitting down on a large couch. Applejack and Marble took the one across from her, Applejack feeling her cheeks burning. It was time. She took a breath. 

"Say... does it have something to do with Marble?" Rarity asked, unknowingly rescuing Applejack for a few more seconds. 

Applejack shook her head. "Nah. Ah just feel she needs ta know."

Rarity blinked, seeming a bit confused. "Well, okay. So, what is it?"

Applejack's heart rate sped up. She bit her lip, not caring how she accidentally bit down a bit too hard. "Well..."

As she started, the door suddenly slammed open, startling her. She looked over, seeing Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Fluttershy standing in the doorway. 

Twilight waved. "Hey, Rarity- oh, Applejack and Marble, too! Pinkie's going to be decorating for the wedding, do you want to help?"

Rarity nodded. "Oh, certainly! Though, Applejack was about to tell me something first!"

Before Applejack could react, Pinkie loudly gasped. "Ooh, what is it?!" She asked, sitting next to Rarity. Applejack felt her cheeks burn. Oh, come on! 

"Uh..."

As Applejack fumbled for words, the rest of her friends seemed to sit down on the couches. Her heart rate sped up as she realized that she probably wouldn't be telling just Rarity and Marble her secret. Oh boy...

Rainbow crossed her arms. "Say... why do Rarity and Marble get to know, but not the rest of us?"

Applejack fought the urge to groan. "Um... well, Ah figured Ah should tell one of y'all at a time-"

"Then why is Marble here?" Dash asked, looking to Marble. "Sorry, don't think I'm accusing you or anything."

Applejack's nerves completely blew up inside of her. "Because she walked in on it, that's why!" As soon as it slipped out, Applejack threw a hoof over her mouth. Oh, I'm in trouble now...

And, just like she thought, everyone except for Marble went completely wide-eyed. Applejack couldn't look at any of them.

"Um... Applejack?" Fluttershy meekly asked.

Applejack looked up to her, feeling her blush reach her ears. "Yeah? Ah guess Ah gotta tell everyone now," she said, taking a deep breath. She could do this.

Fluttershy gulped. "Um... you're still a... virgin, right?"

This question took Applejack completely off guard, causing her to somehow blush even harder. "What the hay?! Of course Ah am!"

Rarity let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness! That would mean she would be hiding a relationship from us or something!" As she said that, Applejack felt her eyes widen as she blushed even harder. Her glance was darting around, and she scrambled to find something, anything, to say. "Um... darling, you aren't hiding a relationship from us, are you?" Rarity asked, seeming to take notice of Applejack's demeanor.

Applejack felt herself look to the ground, not able to look at anyone. "Um..."

Pinkie gasped. "Ooh, who is it?! Let me guess-"

Twilight put a hoof to Pinkie's mouth, silencing her. "Pinkie, let Applejack tell us when she's ready."

Dash leaned back into the couch, a prideful smile on her face. "I had a feeling that's what you were hiding from us. What's so bad about telling us? I mean, it's not like you're dating Tirek or anything like that."

Well, I'm dating someone who you hate, so I don't know about that, Applejack thought to herself. She finally decided to give in. She waited this long, so she should just tell everyone at once. After all, it won't be too hard, right? "Alright. Well, Ah want y'all ta promise ya won't start yellin' at me."

Twilight giggled. "Applejack, we would never do something like that! Right, girls?" To this, everyone else nodded in affirmation.

Even though Applejack had doubts, she steeled a breath anyway. It was time. "Well... alright. Ah'm... in a, let me assure ya, healthy relationship with... Flim." As those words left her mouth, she couldn't bring herself to look at anyone. Would they be glaring? She eventually looked up, seeing everyone but Marble bug-eyed. 

"Um... well, alright... this day is just full of surprises," Rarity said, glancing around. Applejack pulled her hat slightly over her eyes. 

"Um... who are you talking about?" Marble asked. As soon as she did, Dash slammed a hoof in the table between the couches, grabbing everyone's attention in an instant.

"Probably the worst pony ever-" She started, Applejack fixing her with a harsh glare, prompting her to shut up. "Uh... hehe... please don't beat me up."

Applejack raised a brow, feeling anger start to boil inside of her. "Ah thought y'all promised ya would be supportive," she said, the sentence coming out in more of a snap.

Twilight nodded. "Applejack's right. Sure, this is big news, but she-"

"She's dating the pony who tried to overrun Sweet Apple Acres! You're seriously alright with this?!" Dash interrupted, getting in Twilight's face. Twilight lightly nudged her back.

"As I was trying to say... Applejack surely has her reasons. I mean, we all know how much she used to be opposed to relationships. He obviously changed something for her."

Applejack internally sighed of relief as she heard Twilight's logic. It seemed as though she was at least supportive...

"Well, maybe he's lying. I mean, I can't trust that guy," Rainbow responded, immediately sparking up Applejack's anger again.

"What all happened?" Marble asked. 

Dash looked to her. "Basically, him and his no good brother tried to overrun Sweet Apple Acres. They almost won it, if it weren't for their cider tasting horrible."

"Oh."

"They're just no good con-ponies. End of story," Dash finished. As she did, Applejack let out a deep, annoyed breath.

"Let me talk for once." She waited until she caught everyone's glance, which didn't take long. "Alright. Ah understand your frustration, cause believe me, Ah was the same way when Ah saw him again. But, like Twilight was sayin', Ah do have mah reasons. Basically, he came to me because he wanted ta learn honesty. Long story short, he realized what he and his brother have been doin' was wrong. He wanted ta get an actual job, and the only way ta do that in Equestria is ta have friendship. So, Ah decided ta teach him."

Twilight gasped. "Applejack..."

Applejack mentally prepared herself for more accusations as she replied. "Huh?"

"You had a friendship pupil... without telling me?!"

Applejack nodded her head, happy that was all Twilight seemed to be mad about. "Ah'm sorry. He asked that nopony besides me knows that he's here. He didn't want ta hear more ponies tellin' him how bad of a pony he is, considerin' at that time his self confidence was already low enough. Hearin' more bad things would break him."

Twilight blinked. "Oh."

Applejack nodded, feeling a lot less nervous now. "Yeah. Ah encouraged him ta let me tell y'all, but he insisted on himself bein' a secret. So, we met daily in the woods, and Ah taught him honesty and confidence. Soon... we-"

"Fell in love?!" Rarity asked, her eyes starry. "Oh, this is exactly like a romance novel I just finished! A redeemed nemesis approached a mare's door, and slowly but surely, they fell for each other!"

Applejack felt a warmth in her stomach as she recalled. A smile crept onto her face. "That's... the gist of it."

Rarity's eyes danced with excitement. "When did he first ask you out?!"

Applejack smiled even brighter. "Well... Ah told him Ah liked him the day Pinkie used the Choosin' Stone."

Pinkie gasped. "That's why you were so flustered and nervous!" 

Applejack nodded. "That's why."

Rarity squealed as Dash comprehended everything.

"Oh. You could have said he was reformed when you first told us about him. I was scared," she said. 

Twilight nodded. "See, Dash? I told you Applejack had her reasons!"

At this moment, Applejack felt like she was on top of the word. Her friends were alright with them dating! 

"That's so cute! So, anyways, what did you walk in on, Marble?" Pinkie asked, turning to her sister. As soon as she said it, Applejack felt her cheeks burn. Oh, right... I have to explain that too...

Marble blushed. "Um..."

Dash immediately burst out laughing, snapping Applejack's attention to her. "Applejack, did you seriously lie about losing your virginity?"

Applejack felt a harsh blush crawl up her cheeks. "What?! No!"

Dash started to laugh again. "Well, why else would Marble be flustered? Also, just to let ya know, the walls in your house are pretty thin," she said, winking. Applejack glared at the pegasus, almost sure she looked like a cherry at this point.

"Rainbow Dash! Ah did not lie! We were just kissin' on mah bed!"

"That's what they all say!"

Applejack raised a brow, fighting the urge to groan. "Really?"

Dash's laughter finally died down. "Ah, sorry, AJ. I've just been waiting forever to make fun of you with sex jokes!"

Applejack restrained herself from rolling her eyes. "Y'all can wait a little longer. It won't hurt ya."

Dash shook her head. "Nah. I'll still make fun of ya. Especially when I meet him!"

Fluttershy raised a brow. "Wait a second... how did he get into your room?"

Applejack felt herself blush again. "Well, he teleported. A little while back, Ah borrowed a teleportation book-" Applejack tried to say, not wanting to say that she technically stole it-

"That's where it went?! Applejack, please, tell me next time you borrow something! Spike and I were looking for that book for days! Then, about a week later, we found it magically appeared in the wrong bookshelf!" Twilight interrupted, glaring. Applejack chuckled, feeling her ears fall back.

"Hehe... sorry, Twilight. Ah didn't want anyone knowin' about us, so Ah kinda stole it," she admitted.

Twilight sighed. "Applejack, for Spike's sake, please tell me next time."

Applejack couldn't hold back a smile. "Ah will. Ah'm sorry. After we started datin', he told me Ah could tell ponies about him, but... Ah opted not to. If anythin' found its way back to mah family, Big Mac would beat him to a pulp."

"Well, you gotta tell your family sometime!" Pinkie said. Applejack nodded.

"Yeah. Ah've been thinkin'... maybe Ah could tell 'em tomorrow. We've been together for a few months now, so they'll hopefully be more hesitant about breakin' us apart."

Pinkie gasped. "Do we get to meet him, too?!"

Applejack nodded. Why didn't I ever think about my friends meeting him? "Yeah. He's a good pony. He's a lot different from his past self, let me tell ya. He'll also probably be workin' on the farm. Well, if mah family lets him."

"Really?" Marble asked. Applejack nodded.

"Yup! Ah might have him work with you, but Ah'm not sure yet. Big Mac would work him too hard, and he wouldn't be allowed ta work with me for obvious reasons."

Rainbow starting laughing again, Applejack turning to her with a raised brow. 

"What now?"

Dash giggled. "Oh, well, the work isn't the only thing he's gonna do!" She replied, smirking. Applejack sighed.

"Whatever ya want ta tell yourself."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well, alright! I look forward to meeting him! Well, meeting his reformed self, that is."

Applejack smiled, her nerves completely gone. "Well, Ah'm glad. Ah'll have ta tell him."

Pinkie nodded. "Yeah! And if your family doesn't let you two be together, leave it to us to convince them!"

Applejack giggled. "Well, ya can try. It won't be easy."

Pinkie shrugged. "Eh, I'll find a way."

Applejack smiled. "Well... thank y'all... most of y'all, at least, for bein' supportive. It means a lot."

Twilight smiled. "It's no problem, Applejack! As long as he's a good pony, we're proud of you and hope your relationship runs smoothly!"

Applejack nodded. "Thanks."

Dash nodded. "Well, I mean, I do ship Applejack with someone else, but-"

Applejack's ears perked up as she looked at Dash with the most horrified expression. "Ya ship me?!"

Dash nodded. "Yep! I actually wrote an erotic fanfiction about you and Caramel a little while back!"

Applejack's cheeks burned as she stared at Dash. "Caramel?! Seriously?!"

Dash started to laugh. "Yeah! I gotta read it to you sometime!"

Applejack sighed, cringing at the thought of her story. "Ah would rather ya not."

"As much as we would love to hear it, Dash, I have some news of my own," Twilight said.

Rarity's eyes widened. "Do you have a coltfriend too, darling?"

Twilight shook her head. "No. Anyways, Starlight's coming into town in two days!"

Pinkie gasped. "Really?! We totally need to have a sleepover! We have so much to catch up on!"

Twilight nodded. "Well, that sounds good. Marble, do you want to come, too?"

Marble's ears flicked. "Sure."

Pinkie gasped. "Yay! Hopefully you'll be with Mac by then, Marble!"

Marble blushed. "Um... I'll try."

Applejack chuckled. "Well, Ah gotta get goin' and tell Flim what's all happenin'. So... see y'all at the farm tomorrow!"

"What time?" Twilight asked. Applejack thought.

"Uh... nine o' clock! It's a Saturday, so hopefully it'll be easy ta make! See y'all!"

"Bye!" They replied as Applejack and Marble stepped outside. Applejack looked down to Marble.

"So... wanna get lilies?"





After Applejack helped Marble pick out some flowers for Mac, she went on her own separate way, walking towards the woods. There was a confident stride to her step, and she felt like a huge weight was partly lifted off her shoulders. Sure, she still had to tell her family, but this was all relieving enough.

As she stepped into the clearing, she immediately spotted Flim relaxing on the grass. She ran up to him and hugged him, Flim blinking before hugging her back.

"Um... did it go well?"

Applejack nodded, pulling apart from him and kissing him. "Yeah. It sure did. Long story short, they all happened to show up and wanted to know what Ah was goin' to tell Rarity and Marble. So... you're meeting all of them and mah family at nine o' clock tomorrow."

Flim's ear flicked. "Oh. Well, luckily, I have tomorrow off."

Applejack chuckled. "Yeah."

Flim took a breath. "Well... I don't know how I feel about this. I'm honestly a bit scared. Well, terrified of Big Mac."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. Ah'll make sure he doesn't hurt ya," she said, kissing his cheek. "Ah'm a bit nervous, too. But, we'll have each other. All of mah friends support us as well. It'll be fine, Ah'm sure of it."

Flim smiled. "Well, that's good."

Applejack nodded. "Yeah. Also, if this all goes well, Ah'll probably have you workin' on the farm."

Flim's eyes widened. "Really?! Oh, a nice bed to sleep in would really be nice."

Applejack chuckled. "Ah figured. But, anyways, let's see how it all goes. For now, Ah gotta get back to the farm. Ah never told anyone Marble and Ah were leavin'."

Flim lightly kissed her. "Well, okay. So... when and where should I meet you?"

"Ah'll come here early tomorrow mornin'. That way, Ah can walk ya over."

Flim nodded. "Sounds good. So... see you then." They came in for another kiss before Applejack stood up.

"See ya," she said, smiling and trotting out of the woods. Tomorrow, her family would know about her secret. This is the determining factor of if their relationship will last or not. ...Am Ah really ready?