//------------------------------//
// Confession 
// Story: Hurt 
// by Mitslits 
//------------------------------//

It started off like any other day. But it turned into the worst day of their lives. None of them could have seen it coming. The angry words flying thick and fast between the two friends, the others watching on, unable to stop them, confused by what was happening. The real blow came later. None of them could have seen it coming, but suddenly it had flown past them, left them feeling utterly broken.

"You know Ah have other friends", Applejack shouted at me. "Ah don't wanna be with y'all all of the time."
I nodded. "I know that. I'm not asking you to be here all the time, but I feel like you're drifting away from us. I don't want you to do that." I smiled at my friend, a touch of sadness in my eyes.
Applejack sighed. "Listen, Twi, Ah need some time to think about this, okay? Ah'll see you in the mornin'." With that, she turned and paced slowly out of the house, thoughts spinning through her head.
I was devastated. This was turning out to be the most serious fight we had ever had. I had never seen AJ so determined to leave us. I had never really thought about it before, but now I could see that there had been obvious signs that she had never been as close as the rest of us were to each other. Before I could dwell on it much longer, I buried myself in a book, anger bubbling just beneath my skin. Words swam before me and I couldn't concentrate, so I decided to just give up trying to read and go to bed.
Settling in later that night, anger gave way to sadness. I certainly didn't want my friend to leave me. I loved her and I thought she had felt the same way. Tears spilled onto my pillow and I eventually cried myself to sleep, lingering thoughts of Applejack in my head.
The next day, practically as soon as we woke up, we were at it again. She showed up at my door early in the morning, Celestia's sun just peeping over the horizon. "Listen", she started, after I ushered her in and offered her some dandelion tea. "Ah just don't think this is working out. Ah've never really fit in with the rest of y'all, never been as close as you and t'others. We've all made this great big deal 'bout bein' friends, and we are, but Ah just feel distant. You 'n Rainbow Dash seem to hold us others above all yer other friends, and I don't like that. Ah'd rather us all be on the same level. That's why Ah feel Ah have to leave."
I gasped in shock. Leave? This was disastrous! I had no idea she felt this way. But...why hadn't she said anything about this earlier? I soon realized I was staring in shock. I had to say SOMEthing. "But, Applejack-", I was interrupted by a knock at the door. 
Rainbow Dash peeked in, smile disappearing when she saw the two of us. "I heard about the fight, and I thought I should come over", she explained.
"Ah'm sorry, Dash, that I didn't explain fully what was going on", AJ apologized. "I was a little upset last night."
Dash just waved it hoof nonchalantly. "You don't have to apologize for not telling me", she said, a little too brightly. "But, hey, I know we have differences, but that doesn't mean you have to leave."
At this point, I felt I really should say something. I had to support her, even if it tore me to pieces. I couldn't have her leave thinking I was just being selfish. "Leaving is your choice, but you should really think about it. I mean, yeah, we've fought, but no friendship would be complete without fights. It just shows that we're strong enough to stick together without the tough stuff", I said. I felt a strange mix of anger and regret well up in me. I didn't want her to leave. I wanted her to see what I was saying, to stay here with us, even if she felt out of place, even if she had to act like she liked us more than others. But that was selfish. I couldn't tell her that. No way. "I feel like you don't even want to be friends with us anymore", I whispered, half-hoping she wouldn't hear.
"Ah never said Ah didn't want to be friends. We could still stay in touch. Ah just don't wanna pretend that we're so close when Ah don't feel the same way as you two. Ta me, y'all ain't that special. Yer the same as all mah other friends", Applejack confessed. 
I was absolutely blown away by this and I could feel the tears springing to my eyes. We weren't special...? We were just the same as everyone else? "Y-you want all your friends to be the same? That just won't work, AJ."
AJ shook her head vehemently. "No, Ah mean the same level, not the same. See, Ah've learned that Ah don't want best friends. Ah just want friends that serve their own purpose in mah life", she said.
"Why?" I asked, confused. I couldn't understand what was wrong with having best friends. I had always that they were just a part of life. "I have pretty much one level of friends and that's you guys. That's why I rever you guys so highly", I said, tears streaming down my face by now. I could see Rainbow wasn't much better. She looked just as confused as I felt. 
She decided to speak up. "Listen, AJ, we don't have to be friends that tell each other everything and are never apart, but I never thought of you as just another friend, and I don't want to now. But this has to be your decision. I-I won't try and stop you if you want to leave."
"What?" I was stunned. How could she be supporting this? I felt as if my world was coming apart. Emotions flickered through me, changing from rage to hurt, to confusion. I finally settled on pain. "Being told we're the same as all your other friends...it hurts", I said, voice hoarse.
AJ sighed. "Listen, Pinkie Pie cheers me up all the time, Fluttershy agrees with everything Ah say, and Rarity has made me more open-minded. Ah care about a lot of ponies and there's just no comparison between them. Ah cain't choose best friends."
Rainbow stepped in again. "You guys kind of aren't my friends. I consider you more as sisters. I have other friends, but I don't normalize them, don't put them all in one place", she said, eyes flicking between us.
"Exactly mah problem!" Applejack exclaimed, stamping a hoof. "Y'all want me ta choose which friends Ah like best, but it ain't gonna happen. Ya cain't expect me ta hold any of ya higher than others."
I steeled myself. This couldn't be happening. This was all a dream, a nightmare. None of this was real. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. "I'm not asking you to choose between friends", I pointed out. "I'm asking you to allow us to hold you higher than our other friends, even if you don't hold us higher." I didn't want to cry in front of them. I had to get them out of there. But...how? Then another point came to my head and I was swept into a sea of anger. "Why did you let it get this far?!" I yelled, surprised at my own outburst. "For two years, you haven't said a word about it! I want to know why this is so sudden."
AJ seemed to get mad then too, responding violently. "Ah've NEVER been as enthusiastic about our friendship as the rest of ya and Ah've always felt bad fer it." She hung her head.
Wincing, I knew I couldn't do it. I couldn't stay mad at her. "I'm so sorry. For everything", I whispered. That was it. I was spent. There was nothing else I could say.
A sudden, harsh crack of thunder broke the silence that had descended over us. AJ, tears springing to her eyes, bowed her head. "Ah'm sorry too." Then, with a strike of lightning, she was gone, racing across town in the pouring rain. 
Rainbow draped a wing over me and departed as well. 
I stared at Applejack's hat, the only thing left of her after our fight. The only thing I would probably ever see of her again. This was ridiculous. I loved her, and I wasn't going to let her go that easily. I levitated her hat onto my head and charged out of the door into the pouring rain. Her tracks were quickly disappearing into the mud and I ran as fast as I possibly could. 
My search was to no avail. I had barely reached Sugarcube Corner when all sign of her tracks had been completely obscured. My tears mingled with the rain that plastered my mane to my body. Head drooping, tail trailing in the mud, I wended my way home. Exhausted I collapsed into the middle of my floor, emotionally spent. I closed my eyes and listened to the rain fall, beating out the sad song of Applejack's departure, never to return.