//------------------------------//
// The Truth Comes Out 
// Story: Apple Bloom Learns the Truth 
// by memphisgurl 
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Apple Bloom stared at the grave, weeping and wishing she was dreaming. Though she did not want to she forced herself to open her eyes and read what was engraved on the gravestone. It said: Here lies Applejack, she was a friend to many, and held honesty above all else. May she rest in peace.

Slowly Apple Bloom began to speak, "Big sister, I-I wish you were here. I need you and so do Big Mac and Granny Smith. You were the one who was always there for us, without you I'm not sure if we can continue. Now that you're gone, well, we hardly talk to each other anymore and I just... I don't know what to do. Come back to us big sister, we all miss you." She gently laid a flower on the grave and began to walk away, unable to control her emotions anymore.

Apple Bloom had barely gone a few steps when she walked right into Princess Luna. Looking up she stammered, "I'm so sorry Princess! I didn't mean to, I just wasn't watching where I was going! Please forgive me!"

Luna looked down at her, smiled, and said, "Do not worry Apple Bloom. I was looking for you anyway."

"You were looking for me? Why?"

Glancing around uncomfortably, Luna said, "I have come to tell you a truth my sister should have told you years ago."

"What do you mean?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Come with me." With that Luna strode off into the night leaving a confused Apple Bloom to follow in her wake.

After they had been walking for almost an hour, Apple Bloom spoke up, "Um, Princess, how much farther until we get there?"

Looking back, Luna stopped and said, "Fear not, little one, we are here now." Both Princess Luna and Apple Bloom took a seat on the grass.

With a nervous, almost grave expression on her face Luna looked deep into Apple Bloom's eyes and said, "What I am about to tell you will probably seem unbelievable and you may even venture to excuse me of lying, but I assure you, every word I shall speak will be the truth. Celestia should have come to you as soon as you began attending school and told you everything. However, she has a soft heart which therefore leaves me to be the bearer of bad news."

Apple Bloom was now completely focused on Luna wondering what could be so terrible that Celestia herself couldn't tell her.

Seeing that she had the filly's full attention Luna began her story:

"The year before you were born Celestia was deeply in love with a certain stallion by the name of Ignis. He was a young, tall, strong, stallion whose coat was the color of bright sunlight. One night Celestia was feeling a bit reckless and took Ignis into her bedroom with her. I never learned until a few months what they did that night, but it soon became too obvious for Celestia to hide it anymore. So she told me everything about the events of that night. In short she and Ignis had passionate sex and Celestia got pregnant. Out of fear for hers' and the baby's safety Celestia left me to rule the kingdom until she had given birth and went into hiding far across Equestria. Before she left she told me that she had cast a spell that prevented her baby from being an alicorn. She did that because, according to her, an innocent did not need to be cursed with immortality and having to govern a kingdom for eternity due to a mistake of hers. Know this, young Apple Bloom, that putting such a spell on her own baby before it was even born tore Celestia's heart to pieces, because, in committing such an act, she ensured that she would have to suffer through watching her child grow old and eventually die. I disagreed with what she had done, but I let her do it anyway and ruled Equestria in her place for almost a year. The last thing Celestia did before leaving was ensure that all was well and that she was just taking an extended vacation. A year later Celestia returned to Canterlot with a newborn filly who was the same color as Ignis, had orange colored eyes, and a red mane and tail. We both knew that it was impossible for her to raise the filly at the castle, so Celestia did the only thing she could think of. She disguised herself as an ordinary pegasus mare and flew to Ponyville whereupon she went to Sweet Apple Acres. The Apple Family was told that the filly had been found far from any home and was in need of a foster family. They graciously accepted the filly into their family and have been raising her up until now. The same day as when Celestia left her child with the Apples she came into my bedroom after I had raised the moon and asked me one question. A question I have not been able to answer until this evening. That question was, 'Did I do the right thing?' To this day Celestia still does not know the answer and above all else I know that a large part of her wishes she had never cast that spell."

Apple Bloom stared blankly at Luna for a moment before speaking, "Wait, does this mean that I am the child of Princess Celestia?!"

Luna gave a simple nod and said, "Yes, it does. Tonight I realized that the moment Celestia had cast her spell on you that she had started an ongoing chain of wrong decisions. I have come here to right those wrongs."

Blinking sadly and staring at the ground Apple Bloom sighed, "I suppose this also means that the Apples aren't my family then, doesn't it?"

Dropping a wing over the young filly, Luna said, "Of course not! Celestia, Ignis, and I my be your biological family, but the Apples are just as much your family. They were the ones that raised you, loved you, and taught you how to get through life, both in the good and the bad times. Without them you wouldn't be the wonderful, young mare that you are. Don't you ever think that the Apples are not your family, do you hear?!"

Smiling shyly up at Luna, Apple Bloom nodded and said, "I know you said you were here to right the wrongs that were done, so whenever you are ready Princess, you may do what needs to be done."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Apple Bloom said firmly.

Gently Luna rose back up onto her hooves and channeled all the magic she could into her horn. It's glow stretched out and enveloped Apple Bloom. After a few minutes of light orbiting around the filly, the magic dissipated from the air and left Apple Bloom standing even with Princess Luna in height.

With a flash of power from the night princess's horn, she and Apple Bloom vanished only to reappear momentarily in the hall outside Princess Celestia's bedroom. Winking mischievously at Apple Bloom, Luna conjured a trumpet out of thin air. It was the kind used in military drills. Grandiosely Luna threw open her sister's bedroom doors and played a fanfare. 

Celestia looked up from her desk and asked, "Sister, what are you doing?"

Lowering her trumpet Luna pronounced loud and clear, "Presenting Princess Apple Bloom!"

Apple Bloom stepped into the room and said, "Hello, Mom."

The only sound that could be heard in the room was Celestia's head hitting the floor as she fainted dead away.