//------------------------------// // The Honest Truth // Story: The Dishonest Truth // by Arbiter Balemead //------------------------------// "Hey. Fluttershy." "Y-yes?" She asked nervously. "It'll be okay." Applejack said calmly. Fluttershy took a deep breath and nodded her head quickly. "Alright, let's do this." She pushed the door open and they walked into Sugar Cube Corner together. She looked around and spotted Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow sitting at a table together, chatting quietly. Pinkie was bouncing around hurriedly serving what few customers were in this early. Applejack heard a sharp intake of breath and looked over at Fluttershy. Her face was a little pale. Applejack glanced around to see if anypony was watching. She gave Fluttershy a quick peck on the cheek. She calmed down visibly and smiled back at her. The two walked over to the table and greeted them. "Well, hello, dears. What's this all about? Pinkie was barely speaking when she invited me here. She was giggling with excitement. I thought she said 'Super Tube Porter' at first." Rarity said. "Yeah, and I thought she said 'Bugar Snoop Former'." Rainbow added. "You don't wanna know what I thought she said..." Twilight mumbled. "Sorry about that, girls!" Pinkie said, having suddenly appeared between Rarity and Twilight. "Gah!" Twilight fell out of her seat while Rarity jerked away in surprise. "... and that, too..." Pinkie added, frowning. "But I was just so excited about Fluttershy and Applejack be-" She was interrupted by Applejack's hoof in her mouth. "Pinkie. WE are gonna tell 'em. Okay?" "Mhmm." Pinkie replied through her hoof. She removed it and sat down on the bench next to Rainbow. Fluttershy sat next to her and scooted close. "So what are you going to tell us?" Rarity asked. "Well we just wanted to tell you that we uhm..." Fluttershy started, but stopped as her nerves got to her. Applejack wrapped an arm around her shoulders, eliciting a deep blush from her cheeks. "We're together now." Applejack said with confidence. Her words were followed by a moment of silence. Seconds ticked by slowly as nopony said anything. Applejack felt some movement on the bench in the direction of Rainbow, but before she could turn to look some force from that direction knocked her and Fluttershy off the bench. By the time she realized what had happened, she and Fluttershy were caught in a bear (or rather, pegasus) hug, curtsey of Rainbow Dash. "Congrats, guys!" She said. "Heh... uh, thanks, RD." "Wait..." Twilight started, and the three untangled themselves and looked at her. "So... you really weren't talking about yourself, Rainbow?" After nearly an hour of explaining everything they knew about the events of the past few days to each other (while gleefully ignoring odd looks from the other customers whenever the new couple kissed or hugged) the six close friends decided to have a party to celebrate sometime soon. They all walked outside the corner and said their goodbyes... all except for two, who walked together back to the farm just outside the town. They may have told their friends, but one of them had a family in town that needed to know immediately. They arrived at the farmhouse and walked up to the door. Applejack stopped at the door and didn't move. She knew here granny was a very old fashioned mare. It was amazing she hadn't tried to set Applejack up with a local stallion yet, really. The thing was that Applejack didn't want to disappoint her. Ever since she'd gone to Manehatten, she'd never wanted to disappoint Granny Smith like that again. And what about Applebloom? She was way too young to even think about colts. Much less other fillies. Things weren't exactly going to be easy with her family. The only solace in all this was that Big Mac already knew and was perfectly accepting of it. She glanced over at the butter-colored pegasus next to her, patiently waiting for her to open the door. 'One of the only solaces' She mentally corrected herself. "Applejack?" "Yes?" "We'll be fine." She said. Deja vu... She leaned in and kissed Applejack full on the lips. They held it that way for a moment, until the door swung open next to them. They pulled away, both blushing furiously, to look at who had opened the door. "What in tarnation did Ah just walk inta!?" Granny Smith exclaimed. It took them half an hour of stalling before Big Mac showed up to help explain. Granny Smith always seemed to listen to Big Mac more. Applejack assumed that it was because his direct, monosyllable approach made it easier for the old mare to understand. With his help, the three of them explained as much as they could to her. When all there was to say had been said they sat in silence, waiting for her to give her approval or rejection. She looked Applejack dead in the eye. "Ah don' wanna catch you two sneakin' no more kisses on the porch, ya hear?" "Gran-" Applejack began but a wrinkled old hoof stopped her. "BECAUSE. Ah don' want Half-Pint to walk in on ya. She's too young to be thinkin' 'bout that sorta thing an' deffinitely too innocent to be thinkin' 'bout doin' it with no fillies." They stared at her for a moment then she opened her mouth to speak again. "But... on the other hoof... Ah'm very happy for you, Applejack." She said tenderly. She was met with an incredulous stare, then was hit with a powerful hug. "Oh! Watch the old back, Miss Shy!" That night the two spent the night talking back and forth about nothing and everything. If anypony asked them what they had talked about the next morning, neither would've remembered much of it, but both would've said it was a wonderful night, nonetheless. They laid down in Fluttershy's bed together, whispering sweet nothings till after midnight. Just before they fell asleep, the only thing they would remember the next morning happened. "Applejack?" "Yes?" "I-I love you." "I love you, too, sugarcube." They shared one last kiss for the night, sharing in a silent bliss, before falling into the second bliss that comes from sleeping next to the one you love. The End.