Apple Bloom nervously stared down at the ground, her right leg shaking uncontrollably as she debated with herself. She tried to decide whether she should come out to Applejack now, later, or never. Pretend that everything that happened with Diamond didn’t happen and move on with life.
But she knew she couldn’t do that, she’d only be lying to herself and her family about her true self. Plus, she doubted Diamond would’ve let up, or that Bloom could ignore her feelings for long. Plus, if it wasn’t Diamond it’d be someone else.
She tried telling herself that even if her family wasn’t ok with it, they’d still love her… right?
Apple Bloom let out a frustrated groan, standing up and marching to her door. It would’ve been worse if she put this off, might as well get it over with. She opened her door and made her way to Applejack's room, knocking on it softly. “Yeah?” Came Applejacks voice.
Apple Bloom pushed the door open and poked her head in. “Hey AJ… can we talk?”
Applejack looked over from the homework scattered over the desk. “Can it wait? Ah’m a bit busy.”
“No.” Apple Bloom's eyes darted back and forth. “It can’t.”
Applejack gave her a slightly annoyed look but stood up and sat on her bed, gesturing for Apple Bloom to come in.
Apple Bloom hesitated but eventually walked in, her head hung low and arms pulled close to her body. Applejack picked up on her sister's anxiety and lost the annoyed expression, looking concerned. “Hey, is something wrong?”
“Uh… well, not exactly?” Apple Bloom sat down next to Applejack. “Ah guess Ah’m just… nervous is all.”
“What about?” Applejack scooched closer.
“... Do yah love me?” Apple Bloom blurted.
“What? Yes of course Ah love yah! What kinda question is that?”
“And yah’d love me no matter what, right?”
“Of course Ah would!” Applejack gently placed a hand on Apple Bloom's shoulder, lowering her head to meet Apple Blooms gaze. “Apple Bloom, what’s wrong? Yer kinda freaking me out.”
Apple Bloom stared into Applejack's eyes, part of her urging her to run away and forget this ever happened. Ignorance was bliss after all, Applejack didn’t need to know that she was- “Ah’m gay.”
There was a long, drawn out silence, Apple Bloom eagerly waiting for her sister to react.
“And?”
“And?” Apple Bloom looked confused. “That’s it, A-Ah’m gay.”
“Wait.” It was Applejack's turn to look confused. “That was supposed to be a secret?”
“What do yah ‘that was supposed to be a secret’? Ah ain’t ever told yah before!”
“Ah’m sorry, but yah’ve been dropping not so subtle hints to all of us for the past few months.” Applejack said defensively.
“Hints? What hints? Ah haven’t been dropping any hints!”
“Coulda fooled me. Ever since yah became friends with that Diamond gal, yah’ve been talking almost non stop about how pretty she is. Often at rather random times. We all thought yah were trying to clue us in and skip the awkward talk.”
“Maybe Ah was just appreciating her as a friend.” Apple Bloom crossed her arms stubbornly. “She is pretty after all. Ah don't need to have a crush on her to find her pretty.”
“Perhaps, but when we confiscated yer devices after Anon, we took a look at yer browser history, and something tells me yah weren’t looking at ‘pretty girls’ cause yah wanted to be their friend.”
Apple Bloom blushed furiously and she looked away. "S-so yer ok with it?"
"Of course Ah am! Did our talk the other day not make that clear?" Applejack asked exasperated. "Ah literally said yah could kill me and Ah’d still love yah."
"Well, it's just-"
"Is this cause we're country folk? Yah know that's stereotypical right? Yah don’t like it when people assume things about yah.”
“Well, not exactly…” Apple Bloom said awkwardly. “So, Mac and Granny are ok with it then too?”
“Bloom, we all love yah and nothings going to change that, whether yah like it or not. No matter what yah decide to do with yer life, we will always support yah. Yah could even say that…'' Applejack grimaced and cleared her throat. “That pears are better than apples.”
Apple Bloom gasped and placed her hands over her mouth in shock. “Really?” She cracked a smile at Applejack's hesitant nod. “That’s a lotta love.”
“That’s what Ma believed.” Applejack sighed and shook her head. “Woman was perfect, but Ah guess she could afford to be wrong sometimes.”
“Thanks AJ.” Apple Bloom pulled her hands away from her mouth, a bright smile on her face. “Ah guess Ah got caught in the anxiety trap with Diamond.”
“Speaking of which.” Applejack eyed her sister suspiciously. “Ah find it mighty strange that yah came out of the closet not too long after yah hung out with Diamond.”
Apple Bloom blushed and looked away. “Me and Diamond, maybe sorta had a teeny tiny insignificant little… kiss.”
Applejack gasped and before Apple Bloom knew it, she was pulled into a bear hug by her sister. “My baby sister had her first kiss!” Apple Bloom couldn’t get a word out as Applejack excitedly squeezed the life out of her Apple Bloom was left wondering if her sister was suddenly possessed by Rarity, having not heard these squees of excitement from her before. Applejack finally let up, allowing Apple Bloom to gasp for air. “Does this mean yah two are-”
“Ah’m not sure.” Apple Bloom interrupted. “Diamond wanted me to confess to all of yah first before we talked about it. Ah don’t know if it was spur of the moment, so maybe it won’t lead to anything.”
Applejack hummed in response. “Well, it’s not exactly the answer Ah wanted to hear, but it’s better than nothing.” Applejack let go of Apple Bloom. “If yah two do start dating though, yah are gonna let me give yah away at the wedding right?”
Apple Bloom blushed furiously. “I-it’s a bit early to talk about marriage isn’t it?”
“Never too early to plan.” Applejack said teasingly. “Ah have my wedding all planned out.”
“Ah was gonna have yah as the maid of honor, Mac was gonna give me away. Isn’t that a guy thing anyway?”
“Well if that’s the case, then why not have Uncle Orange do it?”
“We’re not even in a relationship yet!” Bloom blurted out with a bright blush. “Ah have plenty of time to decide who gives me away.”
“Ah know, it’s just cute to see yah all embarrassed over a girl.” Apple Bloom pouted and punched her sister in the arm lightly, eliciting a small chuckle from the older girl. “Now, Ah really am busy. Away with yah.” Apple Bloom practically jumped off of Applejacks bed and quickly made her way to the door. “... Apple and Tiara sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-” Apple Bloom ran out the door and into the hallway, Applejack keeled over from laughter.
“28%, very poor.”
Rainbow Dash reread that line plastered on her science assignment over a dozen times now, before glaring down at it and throwing the assignment to the side.
She placed her face in her hands, rubbing her forehead for a moment. “God, why am I so fucking stupid.” She laid back in her chair, blinking tears away from her eyes. “I really am just a dumb jock, all I can do right is sports…”
This was Rainbow's last chance to turn her science class around. She had spent hours studying for this assignment, really trying to make an effort to do better. But it seemed that no matter what she did it didn’t matter. She couldn’t retain anything she learned.
“Dash.” Rainbow jumped and looked over to her mother, having been too deep in thought to notice her. “You promised me you were going to study for this!”
“I did!” Rainbow held her hands up defensively. “I spent hours studying for that stupid thing. Hours I could’ve spent kicking a ball around or doing something actually fun.” Rainbow cleared her throat awkwardly as her mother gave her a disapproving look. “No matter what I do though, none of it makes any sense to me… I’m really sorry mom.”
Windy Whistles' face softened when she saw her daughter’s distress. “It’s… fine Dash. Maybe we’re not approaching this the right way.” There was a small lull in the conversation as both of them wondered what that might be. “Sunsets good at science right?”
“No!” Rainbow Dash looked up at her mother. “I already talked about this with Flutters, I can’t be tutored by her!”
“Dash, this proves you need a tutor.” Windy Whistles held up the assignment. “And we can’t afford anyone to teach you. I know you two aren’t speaking right now, but maybe you could ask her as a client?”
“Mom, she’s not going to tutor me even if I groveled. She’d sooner kick me between the legs then help me.”
“Well… maybe you could have a go between? You said Applejack and her are talking right?”
Rainbow stared at her mother quietly, shaking her head after a few seconds. “I-I don’t know mom. Even if AJ smoothed things over, I don’t think Sunset would be willing to help.”
“Well, she can only say no right?” Windy Whistles offered with a smile, frowning when Rainbow didn’t react. She had to speak in a language Dash understood. “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t take you for a quitter.”
“What?” Dash jumped up. “I’m no quitter.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” Windy Whistles shrugged. “After all, you’ve given up on being Sunsets' friend again.”
“I’m not giving up!” Dash balled her hands into fists. “I just don’t think Sunset will tutor me.”
“Well, you’ll never know if you don’t take the shot.” Windy Whistles got right in Rainbows face. “What’s that thing you always say? ‘You miss a 100% of the shots you don’t take’?”
“Well, yeah-”
“Then why won’t you?”
“I’m just-”
“A quitter?”
“No!”
“Then Do it!”
“I-”
“Prove you’re not a quitter, quitter!”
“I am no quitter!” Dash punched the table so hard, the contents shifted to the side. “I’m going to march right up to AJ tomorrow, and demand she help get Sunset to tutor me! I’ll be so goddamn good at science when I’m done, I’ll rival all the eggheads in school combined!”
Windy Whistles smiled in response. “That’s exactly what I want to hear.” Rainbow lost her determined glare, realizing what she just said. “You better watch your mouth though, we don’t take the Lord’s name in vain in this household.”
Rainbows chest seized up. She was lucky that’s all she said. “S-sorry mom. Guess I just got a bit excited.” The two of them shared a short laugh. “Thanks though, I think I really needed that.”
“Anytime, I hate to see my little Sports star being so sad.” Windy Whistles pinched Rainbow Dashes cheeks. “Even if you are the best at it.”
“Moooomm!” Dash whined as her mother treated her like a toddler.