The family room of Sweet Apple Acres was crowded. But, despite the number of ponies there, there was no noise. And, the silence had made the tension in the room both tangible, and thick enough to cut with a cleaver.

On one side of the room, Granny Smith sat next to Big Mac on the Apple Family coach. Both she and the red stallion continued to stare at the large white unicorn like he was evil incarnate itself. Next to Big Mac sat Apple Bloom, who rhythmically kept looking at Prince Blueblood, and then Applejack with a quizzical expression. Her young expression almost looked like she was trying to figure out how two shapes might fit together in a puzzle.

Then there was Applejack who sat on a spare chair with her forelegs crossed and her eyes narrowed into threatening slits. She was looking at Big Mac and Prince Blueblood with a look of pure frustration.

Prince Blueblood on the other hoof looked completely ashamed, and afraid. He looked like a colt who had to tell his filly-friend’s parents that he knocked up their daughter.

The only ones who didn’t look angry, afraid, or curious were the two guards that waited by the barn doors, in case the prince needed them.

Of course, it didn’t help that nopony had talked since Applejack had related the events of the day that led up to the current moment. In truth, the silence hadn’t been going on for longer than a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

Then there was a loud rapping on the door, causing everypony to blink, and look at the kitchen door with surprise. “Oh, that must be Miss. Zecora,” Big Mac said with a relieved smile as he rose to his hooves and eagerly trotted over to the door.

“I’ve gotten your plea. So I’m here to help the one in need,” Applejack heard Zecora say as Big Mac let her in.

“Big Mac, what’s going on?” Applejack shouted across the room as Big Mac returned with Zecora behind him.

“W-why are you getting another pony involved?!” Prince Blueblood objected with an outraged face as he saw the new zebra in the room.

“I’ve heard your tragic tale as of late. So I have come to help set the record straight,” Zecora explained as she intentionally ignored the aghast expression on Prince Blueblood’s face.

“Here I have brought something new, a potion to be drunk by two. It will enable you to regain your memory,” Zecora explained as she lifted a bottle of potion out of her bag so that Applejack could get a quick look at it. "That is the purpose of this remedy."

Applejack took one look at the potion. Her eyes then twinkled with a touch of recognition. “Is that the same crazy potion you had Twilight drink?” Applejack asked as she trotted over to Zecora to get a closer look at the potion.

“No, it is slightly different you will find,” Zecora said with a shake of her head. “The one that aided Twilight’s bind -- The potion that required Alicorn Magic -- showed Twilight a past that was tragic. It gave a memory that was not of her own -- a memory of when the twin sisters fought for the throne.”

“So, how does it work?” Applejack puzzled as she patiently looked at the zebra herbalist to clarify herself.

“First two ponies must drink, for their minds to be in sync,” Zecora explained as she brought out two light purple, almost white, potions -- each of which was in a glass bottle, with a golden rim, and had cat faces etched along the neck of the bottle. “The memories that they have shared before, will be remembered once more.”

While most ponies in the room looked at Zecora with a polite but empty stare, Granny Smith looked at the zebra with a look of pure befuddlement. “What does this here doohickey do again,” Granny Smith mumbled as she pointed a hoof at the potion that Zecora was gently placing back in her saddlebags.

“I don’t think what she said was even Equish, or nothin’” Granny Smith grumbled as her brow furled in a clear sign of her frustration.

Apple Bloom looked up with a look of pure contemplation as she licked her lips, and attempted to explain, “I think Zecora is sayin’ that she’s got a memory potion. You see: she said that this here potion isn’t the one Twilight drank ‘cause that potion showed her visions of things she didn’t see. This here potion allows two ponies to remember things that the two of them shared.”

Zecora smile, and gave an approving nod. “Apple Bloom, you understand well. You have understood the nature of the spell,” Zecora congratulated the small yellow filly.

“Now you...” Zecora stated as she pointed at Applejack. Her hoof then started to move towards another pony in the room, only for her to be interrupted by Big Mac, who whispered something into the Zebra’s ear. Zecora’s hoof then snapped to point at Prince Blueblood. “...and he must drink. Afterwards, things will be more clear, I think.”

“So the two of us each drink a bottle of this stuff, and then this will show everypony who’s remembering things properly?” Applejack asked with both curiosity and a hint of skepticism.

Zecora nodded. “It will only work when consumed together by two,” Zecora explained as she carefully placed a bottle on the floor in front of Applejack, and another in front of Prince Blueblood. “That include you, Prince Blood of Blue.”

“Are you sure this is safe?” Blueblood hesitated as he bent down to look at the potion, and then poked the bottle a couple of times.

“Zecora’s great at potions. If she says it’s safe then it’s safe,” Apple Bloom asserted. Blueblood shot her a worried look. But after a hard swallow, the worry seemed to wash off of the prince’s face.

“May as well.” decided Applejack as she looked at the unconvinced looking prince.

“Listen: I don’t know you nor do I want to think I was wrong, but I figure if it clears this mess right up, and proves Apple Bloom is my sister then let’s get ‘er done,” said Applejack with a renewed fiery determination.

“If this brings back even some of your memories, then I guess it will be well worth it,” Prince Blueblood offered before he lifted both bottles with his magic, and positioned them in front of himself and Applejack.

“Now, on the count of three have a drink,” Prince Blueblood added as he began to count down. Both ponies held the bottle between their lips and took three long glugs of the foul tasting liquid.

After the drink was down, Blueblood waited for the effects. When nothing came, he found himself questioning the viability of this potion idea. “How long does this take to work?” Blueblood asked. However, his question was quickly answered when both his, and Applejack’s eyes lit up with a bright white light.

Applejack found herself sitting alone in one desk, in a sea of other desks. Everypony was clustered into little groups and animatedly talked amongst themselves. Everypony, but Applejack, that was. Applejack could feel her head sag from the weight of her loneliness.

“AJ, are you ok?” asked a younger Blueblood. A clear concern was written on his face as he looked down at Applejack. A few of the other ponies in the room seemed to notice the prince talking to Applejack. After a few scandalized looks, the colts and fillies that noticed seemed to spawn a whole new set of hushed whispers.

“Blue, is there anypony that doesn’t hate me?” Applejack asked the colt with a slight moistening of her eyes. Applejack could feel a sense of despair color her previous loneliness.

“It’s more that you don’t fit in, and so they avoid you. It’s like my tutors told me: colts and fillies are more insecure at this age,” the younger Blueblood sagely explained as he offered her a hug. Applejack gratefully returned the hug. If for no other reason, than it was a sip of comfort in a desert of despair.

“Why is the prince hugging the day laborer?” whispered one filly as she complained to another of Applejack’s classmates. Applejack tried to ignore them. Conflicts in the past only seemed to add to her troubles, not reduce them.

“Just that, I’ve been here for so long, and things just ain’t gettin’ any better. I don’t want to go back to the farm… Not without Ma and Pa. It just don’t feel like home there without ‘em. But, I don’t want to be here either. You and my Aunt and Uncle are the only ponies here who don’t treat me like something is wrong with me,” Applejack whispered into the colt’s ear. “I just don’t know what to do… I’m sorry. But, I just wish I could get away from my problems.”

Blueblood noticeably paused. His face contorted into a contemplative expression as he considered the conundrum. However, after a few moments, his face lit up with a huge smile as the colt seemed to beam with a realization. “Then, we could sail away from it,” the colt eagerly suggested. “There is a school cruise coming up, and the two of us could go to it together.”

Applejack, however, noticeably flinched at the word ‘school’. “No, no, don’t worry about that. The cruise might be held by the school, but it’s not just for students. It’s for anypony that can get a ticket. Which means there will be lots of different ponies there, and you’ll fit right in,” Blueblood explained as he eagerly smiled at Applejack.

“Are you sure this will be ok?” Applejack reluctantly asked. She knew that her aunt and uncle had a huge amount of faith in Blueblood and his family. But, she couldn’t help but hesitate a bit.

“What could possibly go wrong?” Blueblood innocently asked with a couple of blinks. It was written clearly on his face: he couldn’t fathom any issues with this plan. It was just a simple cruise on the ocean. He’d done this with his family a couple of times before.

Applejack fought a headache as the vision slowly cleared, and returned her to the Apple family barn. “So we were friends at St. Wind’s?” Applejack asked as she tried not to think about the headache.

“Although, I’m sure you could have had many friends if the other students had taken time to get to know you,” Blueblood added with a sagely nod.

“Well, friendships take time to make. And, I wasn’t in Manehatten long. I was there, and then practically out the door as soon as I saw the Sonic Rainboom,” Applejack mused.

“How did you two get to be friends? I thought for sure it would be hard for a prince to meet common ponies,” Apple Bloom asked. Her question managing to rouse Granny Smith’s attention. The green mare’s face shifted from a look of pure malice to a look of intrigue as she continued to stare at Blueblood.

“Well besides the things I just mentioned, I suppose it would be the fact that she reminded me of myself,” Prince Blueblood admitted. “She didn’t have parents, and my parents didn’t have much of a part in my life. You see: even though I had parents, we rarely spent time together. In many regards, they relied on St. Wind Whistler’s to raise me properly.”

“It’s sad that your parents didn’t spend time with you, even though they could,” Apple Bloom lamented as she looked at Blueblood with a sympathetic look.

After that admission, Zecora rubbed her chin a couple of times, before she slipped out of the family room, and the barn.

Applejack, on the other hoof, could feel her heart twist. Apple Bloom had never known her parents, so Applejack had assumed Apple Bloom would never have noticed their absence… But, it turned out the filly had noticed and missed them. What if Blueblood is right? Applejack considered as her heart fell for a minute.

Applejack shook her head. There wasn’t any reason to have regrets because Applejack wasn’t Apple Bloom’s mom -- Buttercup was.

“It’s ok,” Blueblood offered to Apple Bloom before he turned his attention to Applejack.

“I don’t think this helped, I’m afraid,” Blueblood told her apologetically.

"I can't disagree with that. I don't think that proved a darn thing," Applejack agreed with a firm nod, and a huff.

"Maybe you need to drink more?" Apple Bloom offered as she stood up and looked at the two ponies, causing both ponies to pause and return the look. "This potion looks a lot like the one Twilight drank. And, I remember Twilight telling us that she had to drink from the potion more than once."

"But, this aint't proving he's right, or anypony else for that matter," Applejack solemnly admitted to Apple Bloom as she stooped down so that she could look her little sister in the eyes. "And, I don't want anypony to lie to you again. I don't want to see you worryin' needlessly about who your ma was. Not ever again."

Blueblood said nothing, but looked at Applejack with an obvious concern written on his mute face.

Apple Bloom looked solemently down for a minute or two. However, she seemed to rally her courage and looked Applejack in the eyes. "Applejack, you're afraid. I can see it in your eyes, and hear it everytime you reject something somepony tells you. And, I don't want you to be afraid. I want you to find the truth... even if it hurts... Even if it scares you..."

"But, I'm not afraid," Applejack insisted. Her words not knocking the concerned off of Apple Bloom's face.

After a few tense moments, Applejack swallowed hard and continued, "Listen. For you Apple Bloom, I'll drink a bit more."

“Then… I guess it’s bottoms up,” Blueblood told Applejack before both ponies took another mouthful of potion.

Applejack nervously shuffled out of her cabin. She was running late. It was already pushing close to dinner, and she was just now ready. Furthermore, She felt so inappropriately dressed. She didn’t know when it had happened, but last night somepony had stolen her dress, her manecare products, and pretty much every mane/tail tie she had -- except for a couple that had fallen beneath the dresser. And, that left her in a bit of a bind.

But, it was the last night of the cruise, and she didn’t want to miss the candlelight dinner that had been set up for the various couples to enjoy before they departed the cruise, and went back to their everyday lives.

Thankfully, Applejack didn’t consider herself a quitter. Instead, she’d dug out a simple light blue sundress with a pink ribbon that wrapped around from her back to her chest that her aunt Orange had given her for casual use. Because she lacked the products necessary to make that fancy manedo that her aunt said was vital, she instead managed to go with her old ponytails -- a manedo, and taildo she hadn’t worn since she came to Manehatten.

Applejack bit her lip and dearly hoped nopony would notice how unfancy she looked at the moment. Maybe nopony will see me, Applejack hoped as she made a point to search all over the ship’s deck for Prince Blueblood.

Finally, she found him standing by a rose bush that had been placed at one corner of the deck. Next to him stood a royal red unicorn filly, who looked positively miserable. Part of her dress was soaking wet, and her whole head and a good portion of her dress seemed to be covered in cake. Still, the filly noticeably swallowed her frustration and gave the prince another insincere smile as she deliberately bent down and looked at one of the roses on the bush. “Oh my, what a lovely rose,” she enunciated.

“You mean this rose?” Blueblood casually answered as he plucked the rose using his teeth. The fillies eyes lit up, only to suddenly lose their luster when Blueblood carefully positioned the rose in his lapel. “Thank you. It goes with my eyes,” Blueblood stated smugly with a self-fulfilled smile.

“What’s wrong with you? Do you even know what chivalry is? That’s it! I don’t care who your family is! I wouldn’t marry you if my life depended on it!” she shouted through her completely red face as she stormed off, only acknowledging Applejack’s existence by shooting the filly a sideways look.

“Blue, who was that?” Applejack asked as she craned her neck to watch the filly storm off.

“That’s Gold Digger. She’s that filly I’ve been trying to avoid all trip. She’s one of the suitors that father set up in case I couldn’t find a suitor on my own,” Blueblood grimly explained. Applejack let off a silent “ah” as she finally understood. Blueblood then breathed a long hard sigh.

“I don’t like ponies like her. Their beauty and kindness are only skin deep,” Blueblood added with a shake of his head.

Applejack bit her lip and blushed as she absentmindedly looked at her rather plain looking sundress. Applejack swallowed hard. “Blue, I umm… I… I’m sorry I don’t look too good right now. Somepony stole my dress, and mane things, so I couldn’t get dressed up properly,” Applejack apologized through a rather large blush.

Blueblood gave her an apologetic look before he gently nuzzled her. “Nonsense, you still look ravishing,” Blueblood said with a smile.

“In fact: I think you look even more beautiful in that dress and those ponytails. I think such an honest look fits your natural beauty even better,” Blueblood flattered Applejack with a smitten smile.

“Oh, you’re just sayin’ that,” Applejack disputed as she turned her head away from the prince so that he wouldn’t see her blush.

“Do I ever fail to speak my mind? I’m fairly certain I always speak the first thing that enters my head,” Blueblood added as he raised his hoof in a sign of how insightful he believed that statement to be.

Applejack couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that. “Well, I ain’t gonna lie. I appreciate a colt who don’t hold back what he’s thinkin’,” Applejack admitted as she turned her head back to face Blueblood.

“Although, maybe one small improvement,” Blueblood mumbled as he rubbed his chin with a hoof. He then reached his muzzle down to grab the rose in his lapel with his teeth. He then gently placed the rose into the ribbon around Applejack’s chest. “There. I think that rose matches your eyes even better than mine.”

“Let’s go get some dinner,” Blueblood offered as he reached out a hoof. Applejack smiled and grabbed the hoof with her hoof. The two ponies casually walked to the banquet hall where several pairs of ponies were already eating.

“I already picked a table for us,” Blueblood explained as he pointed towards a small table that was already decked in a white tablecloth, candles, and two sets of fancy plates, silverware, and fluted glasses.

Applejack nodded, and continued to walk aside the prince towards the table, only to be interrupted as two rather large, and angry looking guards, and three equally angry looking fillies walked in front of the pair.

“She’s the one who attacked me with cake!” stated a royal red unicorn filly -- who was covered in cake -- as she pointed accusingly at Applejack.

“It’s true, I saw her attack Gold Digger with it!” accused another silver unicorn filly who was wearing a dress that looked eerily familiar to Applejack. The filly wore a green dress with a long train and a dark orange belt. The green train had a white cloud like rim, and a pattern of peach colored apples, and various red, purple, and yellow spots accentuating the slight application of the slightly reflective substance added to the dress. Finally, she wore a golden necklace with a red sigil in the middle and a small golden hat on her head.

The third filly, a filly with a deep yellow coat nodded in agreement with the other two fillies.

“I didn’t do that! And, That’s my dress Applejack!” Applejack snarled as she pointed at the silver filly with an accusatory hoof.

“It is,” Blueblood accused as he looked at the three fillies with an angry frown.

“It is not, I packed it myself. Besides, why are you listening to a dirty little filly like her? Ask any of the ponies from class. She’s a dirty liar!” Gold Digger objected with a snide smirk as she pointed at Applejack with an accusatory hoof. The other two fillies nodded in a sign that they confirmed Gold Digger’s statement.

One of the two guards walked over to Prince Blueblood and gave the prince an apologetic look. “I’m sorry your highness. I know you vouch for her integrity, but I still need to ask your date to leave. The school has a zero-tolerance policy for fighting. And, we can’t appear to be playing favorites,” the guard explained with an apologetic look.

Applejack looked around the room. Slowly but surely a small gathering of other students had gathered to look at the scene. And several faces looked down at her with disdain. Applejack felt her stomach turn. “Let’s just go, I don’t need the food anyway,” she told the prince in a weak mumble.

“I’m not hungry,” Applejack insisted with a faux strength in her voice and body language. But, there was a slight sniffle that threatened to break into her voice.

“Come on. We can eat in my room. I’m sure my butler would be happy to set up a dinner equally worthy of the cruise’s last night,” Blueblood assured the depressed Applejack as he led her back to his room, but not before shooting the three fillies one final threatening glare.

The walk back to the cabin was unnervingly quiet. But, neither pony was in a talkative mood — possibly even for the same reason. Still, Blueblood did not let that deter him as he opened the cabin door.

“White Gloves, could you be a good fellow and please set up a nice dinner for me and my date?” Prince Blueblood asked his butler, who nodded professionally and then carefully set up the table for them. Afterwards, the portly stallion carefully loaded the table with various food items that he had gathered from the kitchen.

“Thank you, White Gloves. Now, I want to be alone for a bit. I will come get you when we have finished dinner, and are ready for you to clean up,” Blueblood ordered. The butler nodded, bowed, and then left the cabin and went down to get something for himself to eat.

Blueblood carefully lit the candles at the table and made a point to dim the other lights in the cabin. The two ponies spent quite a while talking, and eating. But finally, the food had been finished.

It was about this time that Applejack decided to voice a thought that had been on her mind the entire time. “I’m glad you stood up for me,” Applejack admitted as she looked back at Blueblood with a grateful smile.

“Applejack, I would never do any less for you. I may not be a valiant knight risking his life for his ladylove. But, I still like to believe that I wouldn’t show you any less chivalry. I wish there was someway I could show you just how much our relationship actually meant to me,” he stated as a part of his mind considered ways he could.

The more Blueblood thought of it, the more his mind came back to something his mother had once said, When a stallion and mare become one, it is a beautiful thing. Both ponies are the most vulnerable at that moment, you see. So let them never do so without complete faith, and trust. Therefore, my little colt, never give such a special gift away easily.

“Applejack, I would like give you a very special gift. But, I don’t want to give it if you don’t want it,” Blueblood offered with a blush as he made a point to look at his bed which lay partially visible through the door separating the kitchen and the cabin.

At first, Applejack looked back at the prince with confusion, until her eyes followed the prince’s gaze back to what he was looking at. “Oh...” Applejack mumbled as a blush grew on her cheeks.

“Are you sure it will be ok? Don’t get me wrong: I want your gift… But.... Will it really be ok?” Applejack trailed off as she went quite, and her face lowered into a contemplative expression.

“If we both trust each other completely, then nothing could go wrong,” Blueblood encouraged.

“Well… I do trust you completely...” Applejack mumbled with a deeper blush as she reached her head over and gave the prince a big kiss on the lips. Something that he returned himself.

“So what happened?” Apple Bloom eagerly asked as she watched the glowing white disappear from her sister’s eyes, and be replaced by her normal green eyes. "Did you see your answer?"

“Ugg... I got a headache out of it...” Applejack groaned as she tried to shake away her headache.

“Nothing happened!!!” Prince Blueblood quickly shouted as he looked at Apple Bloom with a mammoth blush.

“Right… We played some Mareopoly, and that was it…” Blueblood insisted as his eyes darted about in a futile attempt to avoid direct eye contact with Apple Bloom.

“Is that really all that happened?” Apple Bloom asked with an obvious skepticism as her eyes darted over to Applejack to see if her sister had a different response.

Blueblood nervously played with his collar as he continued to try to avoid Apple Bloom’s questioning glare. “Right. We might have kissed a little. And, then... uhh... Noth...” Blueblood started, only to suddenly be interrupted as an agitated Applejack shoved the bottle of potion in his mouth...

“Prince Blueblood, you have a Miss. Applejack at the door requesting to see you. Should I send her away?” asked a butler to a Blueblood who was not much older than the one from the previous memory.

“No, show her to the staff dining room. I think she’ll be more comfortable talking to me there than the family dining room,” the colt explained as he made a point to meet her at the small dining room.

It wasn’t long before Applejack was ushered into the dining room, but it was long enough for Blueblood to ask one of the maids to brew a pot of tea for the both of them.

Applejack shuffled nervously into the room. Now that Blueblood looked at her, she seemed out of sorts. Her mane was frazzled and ragged. Her body was jittery, and worry was practically etched into her eyes.

“AJ, have a seat,” the colt calmly offered as he watched Applejack anxiously take a seat at the table. It was about that time that the maid made a timely return with the hot teapot.

“Please, have a cup of tea,” Blueblood offered as he poured her a cup of tea using his magic.

Applejack’s hooves were shaky as she tried to cradle the teacup between her two hooves so that she could take a long shakey sip. Once Applejack had put her teacup down, Blueblood decided to continue the conversation. “So AJ, what brings you to my humble home? Is something the matter?” Blueblood asked with a tinge of worry hiding beneath his casual tone.

Applejack swallowed hard as she tried to swallow her worry. “Blue, I’m in trouble, and I need your help,” Applejack squeaked through her dry, and heavy throat.

“AJ, how can I help you?” Blueblood asked with a deep concern. Whatever it was, this was big. Blueblood could see the raw fear in her face.

I gotta tell him before it’s too late. He’ll understand, Applejack nervously thought. But, she just couldn’t seem to find the words.

“It’s… I… You see...” Applejack stuttered as she struggled to find the words to say. However, instead of finding words the filly only seemed to find more anxiety with each word. It was about the time that Applejack stood up with tears still fresh in her eyes that Blueblood started to understand just how profoundly afraid she was.

“I’m sorry, I can’t talk about it now. I just can’t… Could we talk tomorrow? I’ll have the words to tell you tomorrow, I hope,” Applejack mumbled her apology before she dashed out of the room like her tail was on fire.

Blueblood stood up and held one hoof out as if his hoof could telekinetically stop the worried filly from fleeing the room. “AJ What’s wrong?! You know I’ll help you with it, whatever it is!” Blueblood tried to shout to the fleeing filly as she disappeared down the hall, and out the front door. However, instead of his answer, he saw his father skulk out from around the dining room wall.

“Who was she?” Duke Blueblood coldly, and clinically asked his son as he made a point to stand in front of Prince Blueblood, and loom over him.

“She’s Applejack. She’s a filly from my class,” Blueblood admitted as he looked up at his father’s cold eyes.

“How well do you know each other?” Duke Blueblood asked behind his stern expression.

“We’re just friends,” Prince Blueblood disputed as he didn’t like the accusatory tone his father was giving him.

“Is that really all?” Duke Blueblood asked as he continued his interrogation.

“She ... She …. She was my date to school cruise,” Prince Blueblood acknowledged as he tried to figure out what had made his father so angry. The stallion was always cold, but this time there was an undertone of agitation to his cold demeanor.

”You dare associate yourself with some low-class pony? It is bad enough she goes to your school but to invite her to social outings is just preposterous,” Duke Blueblood chastised his son with that icy tone of his.

“But...” Blueblood started as he attempted to defend himself, and his beloved fillyfriend.

“Do not interrupt me,” the Duke shouted. His cold icy stare bore into the little prince as he sunk guilty and afraid. Realising his sudden outburst was less than appropriate, the Duke cleared his throat as though the whole affair never happened -- including his son’s misendeavours. “Everypony makes mistakes,” he began to say, but ended in a quiet threatening whisper, “but, you are not just anypony.”

Satisfied with his response, the Duke turned around and strutted towards the front door of the mansion. “Now, I will be gone the next several days, because of several important matters I must address,” the Duke explained. The prince began to feel some reprieve at his father’s exit. With his father away, he could talk to Applejack. And perhaps for even a moment, he could escape this miserable existence. Unfortunately, his hope turned to despair as the Duke stopped and glared at his son one last time.

“Upon my return, I expect this matter to be resolved and brought up no further.” Duke Blueblood commanded with utter finality. “Do you understand?”

A rebellious and defiant tear appeared in the corner of Prince Blueblood eye. How he loathed the stallion, he called father. Never had such feelings of rage and despair filled his heart. He tried not to surrender to his father’s will, but his disapproving glare overpowered his resolve.

The Prince conceded, his tail between his legs, and ears drooped in a sign of his disappointment.

The memories faded as suddenly as they had come. But, that did not mean Applejack was the same as before... She could feel an unexpected wetness on her cheek.

Applejack slowly raised hoof and rubbed a small tear drop off of her cheek. Applejack then looked at her wet hoof with a somber expression. It had been brief, but for a moment she’d felt the prince’s heart, and it had touched her heart...

“I can’t believe you felt that about me,” Applejack admitted with a slight hesitation in her voice, and a definite surprise written on her face.

“Well, you were the only mare, who could make me feel… loved,” Prince Blueblood explained as he looked back at Applejack with a look of both admiration, and loss written on his face.

“So… what problem was I talkin’ about?” Applejack asked the prince as she rubbed her aching temples. With each dose of potion, her headache was getting worse. And unfortunately, she was probably going to need at least a couple more doses to end this issue.

“I don’t really know. You never got to say,” Blueblood admitted. “But, I’ve had my suspicions for a while,” Blueblood added with a sigh.

“You think she was in foal?” Granny Smith offered as her face resumed its disapproving expression.

“I was banned from any further communications with Applejack. My father saw to that,” he bitterly added. In many ways, the prince didn’t miss his late father.

Blueblood then looked at Applejack. “But I managed to get away, if only for an afternoon. And, I met with your Uncle and Aunt… They told me you went back home, with only a note to tell them where you had gone. They were furious with me and refused to tell me where you lived or any way to contact you. I did hear one of them mention a Doctor that you went to see and I didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until some years later that I realized that Doctor D Positive was a well known and respected gynecologist,” Blueblood explained as he looked at Applejack with an obvious desire to apologize written on his face.

Applejack felt her heart drop. She couldn’t help but wonder what Apple Bloom would think? Would Apple Bloom hate her for not being her mother? Would Apple Bloom have an identity crisis? The more Applejack thought about it, the more flustered she felt.

Quickly she took control of her thoughts. It don’t matter, cause I ain’t Apple Bloom’s mom. I’m her sister, just like I’ve always been. And, they ain’t proved otherwise, Applejack reminded herself.

“The memory didn’t say, and I wasn’t in Manehatten for more than a couple of months. There’s no way for a mare to know she’s in foal that fast, unless she intentionally got pregnant,” Applejack fussed. “And, don’t forget: I wasn’t nearly old enough to go into heat when I was there, anyway.”

“Besides, none of this proves that Apple Bloom ain’t Ma and Pa’s foal,” Applejack added as she gave Apple Bloom a concerned look.

“Bloom never knew her Ma and Pa, it ain’t right to confuse her like this,” Applejack snorted, and huffed.

“Maybe more potion will help?” Granny Smith pondered as she watched the impasse between the two ponies.

“I don’t think so. I noticed all the memories seem to be my memories,” Prince Blueblood glumly admitted.

“And, the only remaining memory I have that would be of any value is the day that I heard that you’d left Manehatten,” Prince Blueblood added as he looked at Applejack with an apologetic expression on his face.

“I have a notion. Perhaps, we need another potion,” Zecora’s voice interrupted the conversation as she trotted in with a new potion held in her mouth.

“What does this one do?” Applejack asked as she watched Zecora trot over to Apple Bloom.

“This potion will make quite apparent, who are Apple Bloom’s parents,” Zecora explained with a triumphant smile as she placed the potion in front of Apple Bloom.

“I want to help Applejack, and Blueblood get their answers,” Apple Bloom admitted as she tried to gather her determination.

“Do I drink the potion or something?” Apple Bloom asked, which earned a nod of confirmation from Zecora.

“In order to reveal your family tree, the potion must also be drunk by these three,” Zecora instructed as she pointed to Applejack, Blueblood, and Big Mac.

“Drink this potion limonite, and watch as your parents are bathed in light,” Zecora clarified as she encouraged Apple Bloom with a warm smile.

“Don’t feel like you have to,” Applejack countered as she looked at Apple Bloom with a hint of fear.

“I’m gonna do it,” Apple Bloom decided as she bit on the top of the bottle, and quaffed down the potion.

She then passed the potion to Big Mac, who drank the potion with a look of curiosity on his face.

Finally, the potion was passed to Applejack, who seemed to hesitate the longest, as she seemed to debate something with herself. But, she eventually drank from the potion.

Once all four ponies had drunk the potion, then the room went silent as all eyes were on Apple Bloom to see if the potion would work.

Slowly Apple Bloom began to glow. And, as she glowed she also slowly rose off of the ground. At first, it was a dull purple glow, but it slowly grew brighter. When the light was at last blinding, it seemed to split a bit of itself off into two more orbs.

The orbs then traveled the room. The orbs first took a moment to float in front of Big Mac, and then skipped him by. To the outside observer, it was like the orbs had rejected him.

The orbs then floated in front of Prince Blueblood. The first of the two orbs then changed from purple to blue, and dove into him. Prince Blueblood then gasped as he slowly lifted off of the ground, and glowed with a brighter and brighter blue light.

Applejack then gasped and held her breath as the last orb floated in front of her. Then the orb dove turned pink and dove into her. Everypony could see the stunned look on her face as she slowly rose off of the ground, and began to take on a brighter and brighter pink light.

“You had me drink the potion to prove a point, didn’t you,” Big Mac whispered to Zecora, who only gave a smirk as a response.

While Big Mac was busy talking to Zecora, Granny Smith watched silently as the light show slowly faded away, and all three ponies slowly descended.

As Applejack descended, she looked off into space with a stunned expression. “I-I… I-I… I can’t deny that,” Applejack mumbled with a definite shell-shocked expression on her face. After that, Applejack stood silently in place with her face bearing a look of pure confusion for several more moments.

“I guess there ain't no doubt now? You are my ma?” Apple Bloom asked with an equally concerned look on her face.

Applejack’s face then twisted into a look of horror. Tears streamed down from her eyes as she trotted over, and knelt down to Apple Bloom’s level. “I’m so sorry Bloom. I’m sorry I wasn’t a good mother. But, I didn’t know, honest,” Applejack sobbed as she grabbed Apple Bloom into a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…” Applejack continued to sob into Apple Bloom’s ear for quite some time.

“Well, I guess that answers that question,” Granny Smith mumbled to Prince Blueblood as the two sisters slowly calmed down.

“I hope I can finally start callin’ my great-granddaughter my great-granddaughter now,” Granny Smith admitted with a wheezy laugh.

Finally, Applejack broke from the hug and walked over to Prince Blueblood. “I know it’s all a lot to take in. I’m still takin’ it in myself,” Applejack absentmindedly admitted as she rubbed the back of her head nervously.

“And, I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t really remember you, outside of the stuff we just saw,” Applejack apologetically explained to the prince, whose face turned somber at the realization.

“‘Fraid not, partner,” Applejack admitted with a touch of shame. “I also hate to break this to you, but whatever relationship we had, it ain’t happenin’ now. You’re a complete stranger to me now.”

“So, you really remember nothing?” Blueblood asked with an obvious pleading expression on his face.

“The only other memory I got is you snubbing my Apple Fritter at the Grand Galloping Gala,” Applejack admitted as she nervously rubbed her hoof in her mane.

It was like somepony had scratched a record. Blueblood looked at Applejack with a look of pure horror. “That was you? Oh no! How could I have not noticed… Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” Blueblood started to moan as he started hitting himself in the head with his own hooves.

“I was so intent on making that other mare go away, that I missed the very mare I wanted to find!” Blueblood finished as he broke down into tears, and cupped his eyes with his hooves.

Once the prince had finally calmed down, Applejack decided to get to the next elephant in the room. She’d answered the question of what they had been. She’d answered the question of what they were. That just left one final question...

The room was silent as everypony simply looked off with stunned expressions. Applejack was the first to break the silence. “So what now? It don’t look like I need help. And, I don’t know you, so there ain’t no relationship to continue,” Applejack conceded.

“But if you have some free time, perhaps you could visit Canterlot some time? I’m sure Princess Celestia would give you a room. And, we could get to know each other? At the very least, I would love to get to know our filly,” Blueblood requested as he gave Apple Bloom a smile.

Apple Bloom, however, remained silent from her position on the coach. Silently she stared down at her hooves with a look of pure contemplation. “Would you like that Apple Bloom?” Applejack asked as she looked at Apple Bloom to see what the filly felt.

“I don’t know what I want…” Apple Bloom admitted glumly. However, the filly seemed to pull her enthusiasm in a valiant attempt to remain strong for her ~~sister~~ mother.

“But, I don’t really mind. And, maybe you could find that spark that you two once had?” Apple Bloom offered as she looked at Applejack with the look of a wanna-be matchmaker.

“If you’re ok with it… Then I guess it’s decided,” Applejack declared as she reached out to Blueblood with a foreleg in an offer to shake hooves.

“Bloom and I will come down this winter, and spend a week, or two there in Canterlot. During that time, you and I can talk, and get to know each other,” Applejack confirmed with a smile as she Blueblood took her hoof, and gave her that hoofshake she wanted.

“Thank you Applejack, you won’t regret this,” Blueblood offered with a huge, and eager smile.

“It’s kind of already too late for regrets,” Applejack admitted with a hard chuckle.

“Just don’t expect any more hanky-panky, you hear!” Applejack ordered earning a knowing nod from Prince Blueblood.

“Yeah, you stay away from my mom!” Apple Bloom shouted before she looked back at Applejack with an awkward expression on her face. “That feels really weird.”

“It’s gonna be even worse when the town hears about it. Expect to get called some nasty names,” Applejack warned Apple Bloom as she reached over her chair, and gave Apple Bloom a warm hug.

“So please, try to talk to me about these things,” Applejack insisted, earning a worried nod from Apple Bloom.

Applejack looked back at Apple Bloom with an apologetic look on her face. “‘Fraid so Apple Bloom… After all, I ain’t gonna lie about my family,” Applejack whispered back to Apple Bloom.

“Well, I need some pie. Does anypony else want some?” Granny Smith offered as she shook her head, and tried not to think about this whole awkward situation. Still, she couldn’t help but smile a faint smile. It was nice to finally know the answer to Apple Bloom’s father, even if it was certainly going to cause some problems later.

Every Apple family member and both of Blueblood’s guards raised a hoof. Blueblood, on the other hoof, hesitated for a moment or two, before he raised a hoof for pie.

Applejack slowly sat down and opened up the journal. Carefully she held a quill in her lips and dipped it into an inkwell. Once the tip of the quill emerged covered in ink, Applejack then began to write.

The last couple of days have been extremely challenging. I spent the whole time running around trying to prove everypony wrong.

But, I think the reality was that I wasn’t being honest with myself -- because I was afraid that it would change my relationship to Apple Bloom. Now don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t lying to myself. But, you don’t need to lie in order to not be honest.

In the future, I’m going to try to be honest with, none other than, myself as well.

Applejack carefully closed the diary, and then made a beeline for Apple Bloom’s bedroom. She wanted to tell her a bedtime story this evening.

Do Blooms Come From Apples?

by LavendarRegards

Chapter 4