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// Chapter 1: A Barren Orchard// Story: Lullabies Unsung// by Seether00//------------------------------//

Lullabies Unsung

Chapter 1: A Barren Orchard



	Twilight groaned as she woke up, an incessant knock hammering its way into her skull .

	“Spike!” she called, rising from her desk. Her mane lay flat on one side, another case of ‘deskhead.’ She’d fallen asleep on an open book, allowing the candle to drip wax onto her hair.

	Again.

	She winced as the heavy raps at the door continued.

	“Spike! Where is that lazy dragon?” No doubt he was fast asleep. It would take more than Twilight yelling to wake him up at—she glanced at the wall clock.

	“Two-thirty in the morning!” Not bothering to remove the congealed lumps of wax stuck in her mane, Twilight lumbered towards the door, cursing under her breath. She’d slept awkwardly; her left wing was all pins and needles. She intended to give whoever was knocking a piece of her mind. “Somepony better have died. If it’s Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash with another prank, so help me...”

	She flung open the door.

	“What?!” Twilight blinked. “Big Macintosh?” Applejack’s level-headed brother was the last pony Twilight expected to see on her doorstep in the middle of the night. “What are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

	He kept his eyes to ground, shifting from hoof to hoof. “Sorry to disturb ya, Princess.”

	“Oh, ‘Twilight’ is fine, Big Mac.”

	“Twilight, my sister came home tonight, drunk as a skunk on New Year’s Eve. Normally that don’t mean nothin’, but she went straight to the bathroom and locked herself inside. I just reckoned the liquor had caught up with her is all. At least, till I heard her start cryin’. That was a couple of hours ago. Got the rest of the family real worried. We tried talkin’ to her, but she just keeps cryin’ and won’t tell us what’s got her so upset.

	“I won’t lie to ya. I haven’t heard AJ this broken up since our folks died. It hurts me somethin’ awful she won’t confide in me, so I was hopin’, you being one of her best friends and all, you could come by and talk to her.”

	“Absolutely, Big Mac. Let me round up the girls, and we’ll meet you at the farm.” Twilight began plotting the most efficient sequence to wake each pony.

	Big Macintosh bowed. “Much obliged, Princ—I mean Twilight. It’s a load off my mind, knowin’ you gals have AJ’s back.”



	The girls, in different states of nightdress, stood outside the Apple family’s upstairs bathroom listening to the faint sobs coming from inside. Big Macintosh paced the hall while Apple Bloom peeked out of her room. 
	
	“Applejack!” Rainbow Dash banged on the bathroom door. “Applejack, get out of there! Other ponies in this house need to pee!”

	“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity scolded. “That’s not helping. Show some decorum.”

	Rainbow took a break from pounding on the bathroom door to scowl at Rarity. “Well excuse me, but I just got grabbed and teleported in the middle of the night without so much as a ‘Hey there, Rainbow’. So, yeah. I gotta pee like a racehorse.”

	“There’s another bathroom downstairs, young’un,” Granny Smith called from down the hall.

	“Oh, thank Celestia.” Dash zipped away, hooves held between her legs.

	Rarity, still dressed in a pink nightgown and slippers, took Rainbow’s place. She leaned against the door to hear more sobbing. “Applejack, darling. Why don’t you come out and we can discuss whatever is distressing you over a nice cup of tea, hmm?”

	More sobbing.

	“Let me try,” Twilight offered, moving Rarity aside. “AJ, it’s Twilight. Just talk to us. The girls and I are here for you. You don’t have to open the door, okay?”

	“I’ll give you a cupcake!” Pinkie said, producing one out from beneath her nightcap. “It’s chocolate-chocolate. Chocolate will make you feel better.”

	“Pinkie, this is hardly the time to be tempting her with empty calories,” Rarity said. “It will go straight to her flanks, a situation not likely to make anypony happy."

	“Actually, the anandamide in chocolate is a natural mood enhancer,” Twilight supplied.

	Rarity simply raised an eyebrow. “Twilight, really? I don’t believe—given our friend is falling to pieces mere steps away—that this is the appropriate time for such trivia.”

	While the three were occupied, Fluttershy shuffled up to the door. “Applejack, if you could just open the door, pretty please. Um, if it’s not too much trouble. It’s just that, well, Winona here is really sad because you’re sad.” The family’s collie whined and pawed at the door.

	“I ain’t comin’ out. Y’all just leave me be, ya hear? I wanna be alone.”

	“Oh for buck’s sake!” Rainbow darted up the stairs and pushed past the others. “You girls tried it the easy way. Now we do it the hard way.” She shouldered Fluttershy aside and resumed banging on the door. “Applejack! You got to the count of three to open up, or I’m bucking this door down!”

	“Rainbow, that seems like a gross overreaction,” Rarity said primly.

	“One—”

	“Rainbow,” said Twilight. “I know you’re really worried right now but—”

	“Look, Twi, our friend’s in there crying her eyes out, and I want to know why. We’ve been yapping at the door for twenty minutes. I’m done standing around. It’s time for action.” Rainbow Dash turned around and raised her rear legs, resuming the count. “Two. You better step away from the door, AJ.”

	The lock clicked and the door creaked open. “Gosh darn it, RD!” Applejack stepped out, shooting a bloodshot glare at the pegasus. “Fine. I’m out. Ya don’t need to knock my house down. I hope y’all are happy.”

	Rarity gasped at her appearance. The farmer’s prized Stetson was jammed down on top of her in a vain attempt to cover the gnarled messed left by her missing ties, which lay around her neck, equally tangled.

	Fluttershy jumped as something small brushed her legs. Apple Bloom emerged from the forest of legs to wrap her sister in a warm hug.

	“Applejack, what’s the matter? Why’re ya cryin’?” Apple Bloom asked.

	Applejack kept her voice level as she wrapped her own forearm around her little sister. “Sorry ’bout that, sugarcube. Big sis just needed a good cry. That’s all.” She lowered herself to Apple Bloom’s level and gave her a pat on the head. “Now dontcha fret. You just go on back to bed. I just need to discuss some grown-up troubles with the girls.”

	Apple Bloom frowned. “But, Sis—”

	“Now, Apple Bloom, mind yer business.” As Big Macintosh lifted Apple Bloom onto his back, she squirmed and kicked, but he held her firmly in his teeth. “Let your sister and her friends have their privacy. I’m sure Applejack will tell us all about it in the morning.” He shot a glance towards Applejack, and she nodded.

	Granny Smith shook her head and slowly made her way downstairs. “I’ll just go put on some coffee then.” 

	The old mare was as good as her word, and the girls soon found themselves seated in the Apples’ living room. After serving coffee, Granny Smith left a tray of sugar and cream, and excused herself back to bed.

	Just like the Apple family, no two mugs were alike. Some were old, chipped in many places and stained nearly coal-black from decades of use while a few were only lightly touched by time. Rarity, of course, picked one of the least personalized mugs. There was an unspoken air of gratitude among the uncomfortable friends that Rarity had withheld her usual round of commentary on the absolute necessity of owning at least one set of fine china.

	A heavy silence stretched as everypony waited for Applejack to explain. It wasn’t until she was pouring her second cup of coffee that she felt ready to speak. Of course, there was one pony whose patience had long since run out.

	“So, AJ. What’s with the waterworks?” Dash ignored the pointed glares directed at her from multiple directions. “You’ve always been a happy drunk.”

	“Tact, Rainbow Dash! Really. Tact, please.” Rarity levitated the pot of cream and poured herself a generous amount. “Now, Applejack, sweetie, take your time. No one is going to rush you,” she said as she stirred her cup, floating the cream around to everyone else. “We understand this must be a very sensitive matter to elicit such a—erm—reaction out of you.”

	Twilight politely waved off the offered pot of cream. Like Applejack, she took her coffee black, and preferably just one notch above solid.

	Fluttershy accepted a modest amount of cream. From the sugar bowl, she added one spoonful before passing it to Pinkie, who poured the rest of the contents into her cup.

	Eyes lowered, Applejack hunched forward in her chair and let out a deep sigh. “Y’see girls, it all started this morning.”



	Applejack wasn’t one to see a doctor for every little scratch, but a couple of weeks back, she’d gotten a pretty deep gash while sharpening an axe. Big Macintosh had insisted, even in the face of her stubbornness, that she get it fixed up properly. While stitching her up, the doctor had mentioned she was long overdue for a physical.

	Just as expected, she was in peak physical condition, so it came as a surprise when a letter arrived a week later calling her back. It was something about an anomaly in her ‘thaum count,’ whatever that was.

	“Howdy, doc.” Applejack tipped her hat and took a seat opposite the physician.

	After the formalities of conversation had been taken care of, Doctor Stable pushed up his glasses and frowned. “Miss Apple, there is no easy way to say this, so I’ll be blunt.”

	Applejack sat up attentively, focusing on what the doctor was about to say.

	“You’re infertile.”

	Applejack sat in silence, blinked several times, then let loose a loud gaffaw. “Ha! That’s a good ’un there, doc.” She wiped away a tear. “For a second, it sounded like you said I can’t have kids. I’ll admit you had me goin’ there for a bit, but that there’s plumb ridiculous.” After a couple more chuckles she said, “Now let me tell you something, doc. No Apple, and I mean no Apple, in the history of the Apple family has ever failed to bear fruit.”

	She shook her head firmly and waved a hoof in the air. “Just don’t happen. Reckon most branches have at least two to four foals apiece. For Celestia’s sake, cousin Ambrosia already got five and another on the way! So why don’t you get on with why I’m really here.”

	The doctor remained seated with hooves steepled. A lump formed in Applejack’s throat as she realized he wasn’t joking. He sighed again and slid an open medical chart across the desk.

	“We’ve found an extremely high thaum count in your blood. Thaums are what we use to measure magic use and exposure. Your count is well beyond what is considered normal for an earth pony. Unfortunately, its effects are not very well understood in the medical community. All we can theorize is that an intense amount of magic can damage sensitive tissue, such as the reproductive organs.” He let out a sigh and took off his glasses. “In your case, I’m afraid it means the inability to bear children. I’m truly sorry, Miss Apple.”

	She scanned the chart from the top, but was ill-equipped to make sense of it. Medical terms, rows upon rows of numbers, and a long list of acronyms rendered her body down to its most basic level with cold clinical detachment. She did, however, understand the final line.

	Applejack tore her eyes away from the evidence of her body’s betrayal. Her mouth worked to form words.

	None came.

	A heavy sob found its way past her lips as she cradled her head in her hooves.

	It took more than a few shuddering breaths for Applejack to find her voice again, though the feeling of nausea remained. “This don’t make a lick of sense to me, doc,” she said, taking the glass of ice water he offered. A shiver went through her as the cold water flowed down her throat in two gulps, only adding to the chill pooling in the pit of her gut. “You told me I was one of the healthiest mares you’ve ever seen. Heck, you wished more of your patients were like us Apples. Now you’re telling me what? That my insides are as rotten as an apple left at the bottom of the barrel?”

	“I assure you there's nothing at all rotten inside you, Miss Apple, and your condition is, I confess, a puzzle, but the results are conclusive.” The doctor rubbed his chin. “Indeed, you’re in otherwise excellent health.” He leaned over and flipped to a page displaying Applejack’s bodyscan. “I consulted a former classmate—an excellent reproductive specialist in Canterlot. In her fifteen years of practice, she’s never seen test results like this in an earth pony. In her expert opinion, what has occurred shouldn't even be possible. Here—” he indicated the abdominal area “—is where the problem resides, in the ovaries. According to the results, while your estrus cycle remains unaffected, we’ve concluded that your eggs are no longer viable.”

	Applejack rubbed her temple, trying to make sense of what he was saying. “Why wouldn’t my eggs be active? Apple family seeds have always been strong.”

	Replacing his spectacles, the doctor leaned forward again and frowned. “Again, I’m sorry that we don’t have much of an explanation for you, Miss Apple, but let me ask you a question. Have you ever, to the best of your knowledge, been exposed to an extremely high dose of magic?”

	Applejack swallowed hard. “H-how high we talkin’?”



	“And that pretty much sums it up.” Applejack sniffled and tilted her face back towards the ceiling.

	It came as no surprise that Fluttershy was the first to rush over and envelop her in a warm hug, whispering condolences.

	Forelegs crossed, Pinkie piped up, “I still don’t get it. My Grammy Pie always said, ‘You get two earth ponies in a room and you’ll likely have four in a couple of months.’ We earth ponies multiply faster than rocks in a field.”

	“The diagnosis was quite clear, Pinkie,” Rarity said. “I do share your puzzlement at the root cause, however.”

	“I have my suspicions.” Applejack pushed Fluttershy away and pulled a piece of paper out from under her hat. “Twilight, here’s a summary the doc was kind enough to provide. Go ahead read the last paragraph. Out loud, if you’d be so kind.”

	“Erhm… Causation: A massive single dose exposure to unknown magic in excess of…” Twilight’s eyes widened. “This says one million thaums. A million!” She dropped the paper, her mouth agape. “Applejack, how… I mean when in the world were you exposed to so much… Oh no.”

	“I see you’re thinkin’ the same thing.”

	“No.” Purple wings fluttered as Twilight jumped out of her seat. Feathers rapidly littered the floor. “It can’t be... Impossible!”

	“Umm, guys?” Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes following Twilight as the alicorn began pacing around the crowded room. “Somepony want to fill rest of us in on whatever you’re talking about?”

	“It can’t be,” Twilight repeated. “The Elements are the ultimate good. There’s no evidence suggesting that the bearers would be adversely affected.”

	“And how many bearers besides the princesses have there been, Twi? None. We all know you’d have found ’em by now if’n they ever existed. We can’t know what unnatural things the Elements did to us. If ya got a better explanation, go right ahead.”

	“Now see here, Applejack,” Rarity said, raising a forearm. “The Elements being responsible for your—” a hoof twirled in air as if rummaging around for the proper term “—unfortunate condition is pure speculation at this point, wouldn’t you say? Why, if your assertion is correct, all six of us would be similarly affected. Isn’t that right, Twilight?”

	She received no answer as Twilight had stopped pacing at some point and returned to her chair. She remained there, fidgeting as few more loose feathers dropped to the floor.

	“Twilight?” The unicorn’s voice grew higher in pitch as she asked again. “Twilight, answer the question. Please.”

	Twilight tilted her head back while tapping her chin for moment. “...It’s possible, I guess,” she finally admitted to Rarity.
        
	“What what what?!”

	“But,” Twilight quickly amended. “Again, there is no evidence—”

	“And you are certain?” Rarity leaned closer. “One-hundred percent, absolutely certain?”

	“Rarity. Twilight,” Fluttershy spoke up. “Why don’t we each get a checkup? That sounds like the best solution.”

	“I’m with Fluttershy.” Rainbow yawned. “Let’s all get some shut-eye. It not like there’s a way to find out tonight. Right, Twilight?”

	“Actually… I do know of a way we can find out tonight.”



	The girls shuffled about while they waited for Twilight to return from the library's basement.

	Half an hour had passed since Twilight had cast what she called a crude bodyscan spell and drawn a small sample of blood from each them. Every pony, save one, sat quietly, fidgeting away. 

	Rainbow Dash flitted from one side of the library to other, grumbling at the lateness of the hour. "When's she gonna be done down there, huh? Some of us have to wake up for work tomorrow, you know?" 

	Before anypony could snap at her, the basement door swung open and the bleary-eyed alicorn emerged trailing a few more feathers from her tattered wings. 

	“Well, Twilight, what's the verdict?”

	Twilight purposefully ignored Rainbow’s question and instead kept her eyes to the floor as she stalked into the kitchen. Cabinets being flung open followed by the sound of clinking glass could be heard.
	
	She returned with a tumbler and a full bottle of Scotch held aloft in her magic, and slammed the tumbler onto the center table with a bang that made all of her friends jump despite themselves. Not a word was spoken as she unsealed the bottle and poured a generous measure, then downed the whole glass in one single gulp. A brief spluttering cough broke the nervous silence, followed by the glugging sound of more Scotch flowing into the glass, although Twilight stood looking at the second drink for an extended period instead of sending it where the last one went.

        It raised eyebrows. Her friends watched, expressions ranging from surprise to worry. Twilight had never drank hard liquor in their presence before. She was more of a light cocktail type of pony.  

	Finally, she pushed the glass away and resealed the bottle before addressing her friends. “The tests were positive, girls.” She reconsidered the glass. “We're all sterile.”

	Silence reigned for but a minute.

	Rarity jumped from her cushion. “I absolutely refuse to accept it, Twilight! How could this happen?”

	“Look! Just calm down and give me a minute to explain, alright?”

	Her horn lit up as Twilight conjured up a grid. On one side, she drew six colored silhouettes symbolizing themselves and, on the other side, a pair of larger figures representing the princesses.

	“The world is saturated with ambient low-level magic. Ponies have evolved to thrive and use it in our bodies. Thaumantic energy: unicorns channel it through our horns, pegasi through their wings. In earth ponies, magic permeates their bodies, expressing itself in physical strength, longevity, and connection to the land.”

	Despite the tension in the room, Twilight fell into the familiar rhythm of a lecture.

	“However, channeling too much magic can have adverse effects. Normally, this doesn’t occur as the amount everypony can channel is limited by several factors: natural ability, how much work they put into their talent, et cetera.” Six gems orbited the princesses with a beam of energy firing towards a snake-like figure.

	“As you all know, the Elements of Harmony were originally wielded by the princesses to turn Discord to stone. They are technically known as magical foci. Everypony with me so far?"

	Fluttershy raised a hoof. “Actually, I have a question. We’ve all been exposed to a lot of magic, if I’m not mistaken. I mean, when she had the Alicorn Amulet, Trixie cast all sorts of spells on other ponies. Why weren’t they affected?”

	"An excellent question, Fluttershy. The big difference is that we weren’t just exposed to the Elements. We channeled them. As I stated earlier, there is a natural limit on how much magic an individual pony can use. Alicorns, however, are on a level beyond all the other ponies.”
	
	The gems moved over to the six silhouettes and fired a rainbow-colored beam towards the figure of a tall dark pony.
	
	“When we wielded the Elements, we acted as a conduit for the same level of magic usually reserved for the princesses, artificially bypassing our natural limits, thus experiencing what's technically called a thaumantic overdose.

	“Thaumantic overdoses are incredibly rare, so there isn’t much information, but the consensus is that the effects are harmful.” Twilight shook her head and looked down at the floor as she dispelled the illusion. “In our case: sterility.”

	“So that’s it then?” Rarity asked, her voice shaky. “We are to remain unable to bear children for the rest of our lives?”
	
	Twilight sighed and nodded. “I’m afraid so, Rarity.”
	
	Rarity trembled for a moment and let her head droop. “Injustice,” she whispered under her breath then lifted her head to glare at Twilight. “Injustice, I say!” she cried, thrusting a hoof in her direction. “Is this fair? Is this just? We stand stripped of the very essence of what makes us mares while you gain wings and a crown?” Her eyes narrowed as she stalked closer. Twilight backed away. “Tell me, Your Highness. How can it be that you, the most studious of scholars, remained ignorant of the Elements’ consequences until now?”

	Twilight’s own eyes narrowed at the underlying accusation. “What exactly are you saying, Rarity?”

	“I am saying you knew what would happen, Twilight Sparkle. You knew, and you kept it from us.” Rarity turned her back.

	“That’s not true!”

	Rarity spun back around. “Why? Why should we believe you?”

	“Because I already knew I was sterile!” Twilight blurted out. She immediately clapped both hooves over her mouth while everypony else gaped at her.

	Applejack looked ready to ask a question, but Rainbow Dash beat her to the punch.

	“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on for a sec, Twilight. You knew you couldn’t have kids all this time? Why didn’t you ever tell us?”

	“How long have you known, Twi?” Applejack sat in front of the empty glass case, tracing the indentations left in the velvet where their Elements had once rested. Fluttershy sat next to her, gently stroking the farmer’s mane.

	Twilight tilted her head back, tapping her chin. “Years ago. After my entrance exam where I earned my cutie mark.”

	“WHAT?” the others cried in unison.

	“And you felt it appropriate to keep it a secret from us?” Rarity asked. “How dare you, Twilight Sparkle? How dare you?”

	“It was nopony’s business but my own, Rarity. It’s never been a subject I’ve felt comfortable discussing. Nopony had ever seen such a large magic surge in a child before. The Princess had me undergo a full examination by the best doctors and mages in Canterlot. My thaum count was off the charts, more than enough to wipe out all my eggs.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I came to terms with it years ago, made the required changes to my list of life goals, and moved on.” Twilight shrugged. “I’ll leave it up to Shining Armor to continue our branch of House Twilight.”

	“Fine!” Applejack spat. “Then at least fix it, Twi.” 

	Twilight sighed with a shake of her head. “If only it were so simple, Applejack.”

	Applejack spun around; the impact of her flying ponytail sent Fluttershy tumbling with a squeak. “Don’t give me that manure!” she shouted. “Yer supposed to be Little Miss Magic. Well, magic did this to us! Magic can darn well make us whole again! Light up that horn o’ yours and make with the hocus-pocus, darn it!”

	“Applejack, please”—Fluttershy tried and failed to pull her into a hug—“it’s not so bad.”

	“Not so bad? Not so bad?” Rarity’s voice rose to a screech. “Don’t you understand? Twilight has ruined us! Ruined me! No stallion of any peerage will enter into a marriage without the prospect of producing an heir! What is a mare if she cannot bear children? Nothing, I tell you, nothing! You’ve condemned us all to a life of lonely spinsterhood, Twilight!”

	“Oh, please. Will you both stop being such drama queens?” Rainbow Dash said. “So our eggs got scrambled. Big deal.” She continued despite Rarity and Applejack’s collective glares. “You raise your tail for some stallion. Then, BAM! Baby. Who wants that hassle?” She flipped into the air and hovered on her back, casually drifting above their heads. “You’re with me, right, Pinks?” It took a moment for Rainbow to notice Pinkie wasn’t saying anything. “Pinkie?”

	Pinkie Pie lay on her back with her legs waving listlessly in the air. Drained of all her normal exuberance, she dully gazed at the ceiling. She held a hoof over her heart.

	A nudge from Fluttershy got no response. “Pinkie, come on. It’ll be all right. Don’t cry.”

	Pinkie shook her head. “No it’s not. I’m… I’m never gonna have a bun in the oven. Never ever! I always… I always wanted to know, wanted to feel…” She sniffled. “Sometimes, when I throw a little filly or colt a birthday or a cuteceañera... I watch. I watch their parents, and they look so happy… so proud. They’re having fun because their foal is happy.” She buried her face into Fluttershy's chest, dampening the yellow fur with each sob. “I want to feel that happiness! Now I’ll never get to. Ever!”

	“What? Seriously? I’m the only one who sees how awesome this is?” Rainbow asked. “Don’t you guys get it? This is liberation! Every week, I get a letter from my folks. It’s always ‘Rainbow, have you met a nice stallion yet?’ this or ‘When are you going to settle down and give us some grandkids?’ that. Lame.”

	A barely audible growl came from Applejack, but Dash didn’t appear to notice.

	“Imagine me. A mom. Babies and the Dash don’t mix. Babies smell. They throw up on your stuff. They poop. Not to mention they cry. All. Night. Long. Don’t know about you guys, but a world-class athlete needs her Z’s. Plus, think about it. Now, we can all ride without a saddle! You should all be happy.”

	“Happy?” Applejack’s furious visage filled Dash’s view. She jabbed a hoof into Rainbow’s belly. “Like you know the first thing about what it means to raise kids, RD!”
 
	“ENOUGH!” Fluttershy stormed between the two, tears running down her face and her body trembling. “Stop fighting! You should both be ashamed of yourselves!” She gave each of her squabbling friends a fierce glare. “You’re both acting like foals. Rainbow Dash, we all know how important family is to Applejack what you’re saying is quite hurtful. Apologize.”

	Rainbow Dash stood firm at first, then relented under Fluttershy’s continued glower. “Fine. Sorry, AJ.”

	“Applejack, I know you’re hurt right now, and Rainbow can be… well… difficult, but she has the right to her own life choices. And if she doesn’t want a foal, that’s her decision and we should respect it.” Fluttershy smiled as she turned to everypony. “I think we’re all missing an obvious solution to our problem.”

	“We are?” Pinkie asked through a sniffle.

	Fluttershy nodded. “Yes. Just because we can’t have foals of our own doesn’t mean we can’t adopt. Well, I can’t have a foal living in my house because of all my animal friends—Miss Caresalot from the adoption agency was very clear—but it doesn’t mean you can’t.”

	Her suggestion met a wall of silence. Then a laugh drew her attention.

	It wasn’t a pleasant laugh. No, it was harsh and full of condescension.

	“Applejack?” Fluttershy asked.

	“Whoo-whee, adoption. That’s a good ’un, Flutters.” Applejack wiped away a tear. “But you can’t love a foal that ain’t yours by blood the same as one that is. Fact.” Fluttershy frowned at that. “’Sides, ain’t never been an Apple who was adopted. Against tradition.”

	“There is no way you can be sure of that, Applejack,” Twilight pointed out.

	“Umm… I adopted a foal,” Fluttershy whispered.

	“But, Fluttershy,” Rarity said, “didn’t you just finish explaining how you couldn’t adopt?”

	“Well... I… Umm…” Fluttershy stammered. “I wouldn’t say adopted. Really, more like sponsored. I signed up to sponsor a foal through the Equestrian Children’s Fund. My donations go to a needy filly living in a remote village in Zebrica. Her name is Zuri. We send each other letters every couple of weeks.”

	“Sugarcube,” Applejack sighed, shaking her head. “I’m afraid you’re being snookered.”

	“What?”

	“Those type o’ ‘charities’ just take hard-earned money from kindhearted ponyfolk, such as yourself—sending ya fake letters to make ya think there’s a foal in need when there really ain’t.”

	“That’s-that’s not true!” Fluttershy withdrew behind her mane. “I’m very careful. I even asked Zecora. That’s a horrible thing to say, Applejack. You’re horrible!”

	“Just callin’ it like I see it, sugarcube.”

	“Hey, leave Fluttershy alone!” Rainbow was quick to wrap a protective wing around her childhood friend.

	Applejack snorted and rolled her eyes. “What’s the matter, RD? Am I suddenly bein’ too honest for ya? My point still stands. You can’t love a stranger the same way you can your kin. Just the way it is.”

	 “I don’t believe that for a second, Applejack,” Twilight said with a frown. “And, may I remind you, you’ve called us honorary Apple family members before.”

	“Yeah, what gives? We’re only family when you need apples bucked or cider pressed?” Rainbow Dash added.

	“Honorary members means just that, aside from Pinkie o’ course. The Apple family’s as old as Equestria. We got traditions, and one of them is that you only become an Apple by birth or marriage.”

	Forelegs crossed over her chest, Dash snorted. “Well that’s just dumb.” Once again, she got a face full of Applejack.

	“Don’t you call my family dumb, ya flea-ridden buzzard!”

	Twilight moved to intervene before a fight broke out. “Girls, please!”

	“Well, at least I’m not crying over somepony who doesn’t even exist. Maybe you forgot, but we saved the bucking world! More than once too.” Dash pointed at the case which once held the Elements. “So we can’t have kids. I say it was worth it!”

	“As callous as it sounds, I agree with Rainbow Dash.” Twilight put herself between the two ponies. “The average family has two foals. Measured against the fate of Equestria, twelve ponies never being born is a negligible price.”

	“It could’ve been somepony else!” Applejack retorted.

	Twilight shook her head. “We needed you, Applejack. Equestria needed the Element of Honesty.”
 
	“Oh horseapples, Twi!” Applejack threw her hat on the ground as she shouted, tears forming again. “You can’t tell me there weren’t another honest pony in the whole town ya could’ve made friends with. Heck, the whole of Equestria. Just me, really?”

	Backing away, Twilight tried to explain, “It was your destiny. Our destiny. We all received our cutie marks as a direct result of Rainbow’s Sonic Rainboom. That’s proof we were meant to be friends and wield the Elements.”

	Picking up her hat, Applejack advanced on the alicorn. “Twilight, I saw RD’s rainbow fart—”
        
	“Hey!”

	“—damn all the way from Manehattan. It reached all the way there from Cloudsdale, hitting Canterlot and wherever the hay Rarity and Pinkie Pie were as well. You expect me to believe, given all the miles it must’ve spread, out of hundreds, maybe even thousands of ponies, only the six of us got our cutie marks? Now I may not be a fancy mathematician, but that there sounds like what they call a bucket of horse manure.”

	Twilight bit her lower lip. Applejack’s statement made absolute logical sense. It had never occurred to her to actually look into the possibility of the Rainboom linking other ponies together. It was something to research, but the fact remained there was still only one Element of Honesty and Applejack needed to accept it. “I am sorry, AJ. You’ve every right to be upset, and if you want to lash out and blame me, I’m fine with it. But by whatever mechanism guided the Elements, they chose you to be Honesty.” She shrugged her wings. “It was fate.”

	Applejack gave a mirthless laugh. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks, staining both her coat and the carpet as she marched over and opened the front door.

	“Honesty? What a laugh. How ’bout this for honesty?” Turning around, she pointed back at Twilight.

	Twilight grimaced as she braced for Applejack’s parting shot.

	“I wish I’d never met you, Twilight Sparkle!” 
	
