Author's Notes: Contains references to shipping, and oblique mentions of assault. No explicit content. MLP:FiM is property of Hasbro, who has enough money and doesn't need to sue me over this :-)

Applejack's Secret

"APPLEJACK! APPLEJACK! WHERE ARE YOU?"

From beneath an apple tree she had just finished bucking, Applejack lifted her head to the sky to see a rainbow colored blur flying circles around the orchard. Normally she would be slightly irritated by her mulit-hued friend Rainbow Dash for being so loud, but the sheer panic in Rainbow's voice made her heart start pumping in her throat.

"Down here, Rainbow!" Applejack called, only to be swept up her friend's hooves and found herself soaring through the air faster than she could ever remember doing.

"Rainbow! Dad gum it, what in tarnation are you doing?" She cried over the blowing wind.

"The crusaders have been in an accident. They're in the hospital." Rainbow shouted back, not slowing down.

Applejack froze in her friends hooves, Applebloom's face appearing in her mind. "Fly faster."

Rainbow didn't repond, just increased her speed as ponyville grew in their sights.

It didn't take the two long to reach the clinic, where Applejack was quickly greeted by her closest friends. A battered and bandaged Sweetie Bell stood next to Rarity, her right front hoof wrapped in a sling.

"What happened? Where's Applebloom?" Applejack insisted as soon as she approached the others.

Sweetie Bell shrank back slightly but quietly responded. "We were playing upstairs at the clubhouse, and… and all of a sudden there was this big cracking sound, and…" She sniffled, and Rarity took over.

"The floor of the clubhouse gave out, Applejack." At the other mare's expression, Rarity placed a calming hoof on her side. "The girls were all buried under it when it fell. I found them about an hour ago when I went to get Sweetie for lunch."

Pinkie Pie took over, her usually puffy mane and tail now completely straight. "Fluttershy and I were with her, and got the fillies here as fast as we could, then called Rainbow and Twilight to go find you and Big Macintosh."

"How are the others?" Applejack asked quietly, a worried expression on her face.

"Scootaloo is in surgery right now," the nurse replied as she approached, "She managed to catch Sweetie Bell when they were falling. Applebloom was too far away, but she's only got a couple of sprains and a black eye. She's waiting for you or your brother to sign her out."

Applejack nodded, and went to the small room indicated. She entered to find the doctor putting a bandage on a thoroughly put-out looking AppleBloom. "Ah told ya, Ah'm fine!" The little filly insisted.

"Applebloom. Let the doctor do his job." Applejack said quietly, tears pooling in her eyes seeing that, other than a sling and bandages, the littlest member of the Apple Family was alright.

Apple Bloom's head shot up at Applejack's voice, and she nodded, letting the doctor finish his exam. The older stallion, grey with a red cross cutiemark, turned to Applejack and smiled at her.

"She should be fine." The doctor said. "She'll need to take it easy, and probably shouldn't do any applebucking or anything to strenuous for a few days until she heals up. Now if you ladies will excuse me, I need to go check on Scootaloo."

As soon as the doctor left the room, Applejack wrapped her arms around Applebloom and began crying into her mane.

"I was so worried about ya." She whispered into the filly's head.

"I'm ok," Applebloom whispered. "I'm sorry we broke your old clubhouse."

"Don't you worry none about that." The old mare responded. "It was old and rickety, I shouldn't have let you girls use it."

Silence filled the room for a long moment before the shock of her situation finally caught up to the little filly who began sniffling.

"I was so scared, momma." The little filly whispered, starting to shake. "An… an Scootaloo was so hurt! She broke a wing!"

"She's a strong pony, Applebloom." Applejack responded, before pulling back to look in Applebloom's eyes. "Been awhile since you called me that." She continued in a level tone. "Outside the farm I mean."

Applebloom blushed. "I… I just… I needed my momma."

"Shh… its alright, filly. Jus' gotta be careful about that is all."

Applebloom nodded, but a small noise at the door made them turn around and see a blushing Twilight Sparkle standing at the door.

"Twilight!" Applejack cried out, a blush powdering her own cheeks as well. "How… how long."

"Oh, I just got here. Big Mac is outside, he sent me to see if you two were ready to go, and I told him that I was sure you were fine and that I'd come and get you and I just now got here." Twilight responded, rambling on and on looking embarrassed.

Disbelieving, but choosing not to pursue it at the moment, Applejack nodded, and escorted Applebloom out of the room. "Don't say nothin', Twi." She whispered into her friends ear, who blushed deeper but nodded.

The two crusaders wanted to stay and wait until Scootaloo got out of surgery to leave, so the six mares and the two fillies stayed together until they got the good news that Scoot would be just fine, but that she needed to stay for a night to be checked on. Pinkie Pie, who regained her normal poufy appearance at the news, bounced off to plan a "The Cutie Mark Crusaders got out of the hospital" Party for the following evening, and Rarity hustled Sweetie Bell off to get to bed, telling her that their parents would be arriving in a day or so. The other girls separated, with a thoughtful Twilight heading back to the library.

Later that evening, she turned at the opening of the door to see a sheepish looking Applejack standing just inside.

"Yer a rotten liar, Twi." Applejack said finally, after closing the door behind her. She sighed, "I take it you heard."

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, AJ." Twilight responded. She paused, then moved closer to her friend. "If you don't want me to know, I'll leave it alone."

Applejack shook her head, before moving to a chair. "I'll tell you, cause I know you. You'll leave it be, but it'll work in yer head until something comes out." She winced. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

Twilight sighed, and grabbed two glasses of tea from a pot steeping off to one side, then sat down across from the farm-filly. "I know what you meant, AJ. And you're right. I admit, I'm curious, and I know I can get silly sometimes when I want to learn something."

Applejack nodded, then took a deep breath. "I know you were in Canterlot at the time, but did you hear about the winter storm that got out of control a few years back?"

Twilight thought back, then inclined her head. "About 6 years ago? I remember Princess Celestia getting really upset with some of her guards because she wanted to go and take care of it but they insisted it was too dangerous. We even got snowed in at the castle, which never happens."

"We were more than snowed in down here, Twi." Applejack said. "We'd been having a big family reunion for the holidays, and suddenly there was 20 apple family folk trapped in the orchard. We put 'em up anywhere we could find, in the house, the barn, and even the shed." She took a deep breath, then exhaled, looking into the tea cup. "You got anything a mite stronger to drink?"

Twilight, having a feeling that this was a difficult topic for her friend, nodded, and pulled a bottle of Apple Brandy that she had been given for her last birthday, making AJ's eyes light up slightly as she poured her friend a glass.

"Thank ya kindly." Applejack said, taking a sip and closing her eyes. "Anywho… one of my distant kin from fillydelphia… Uncle Sour Apple…" she made a face and took another draught of the brandy. "Granny Smith always said us fillies should 'be careful' round him. That he was…. Kinda funny." She snorted mirthlessly. "Yeah… an' you know how well I listen. He was nice enough for awhile but…" she trailed off, then shrugged. "A few weeks later I started getting sick a lot. Specially in the mornin'. " Twilights eyes were wide with horror. "Granny Smith took me to the doc, an the whole story came out. Big Mac disappeared for a couple days an came back with a black eye an' the most evil grin I ever seen on that colt." She sighed. "You kin guess what happened." A sniffle finally pierced her stoic expression as Applejack continued, not looking at her friend anymore, her glass long empty. "Granny smith kept me on the farm awhile. She tol' me she didn't blame me none, that I was just a filly and didn't know better. That I could… that I could do whatever I wanted with the foal. But… but it was MY foal, an' I wanted to keep it, so she made up some story bout my ma an' pa leavin her in a basket on the doorstep. Ain't like they're around to say otherwise. For the sake a' the family, Applebloom treats me like her big sister, but at home… well.. she knows who her momma is."

Applejack fell silent as Twilight sat quietly and digested what she had been told for a long while.

"Are you going to tell anyone?" Twilight asked finally.

Applejack shrugged. "Maybe when she gets older." She responded. "But its bad enough to know that people are gonna look at her funny cause her mom and dad are kin. Not ta mention the conclusion most people are gonna draw on their own."

Twilight looked honestly confused, which made AJ chuckle. "Ah, Twi… I shoulda known you wouldn't get this. Twi… sometimes people get… opinions about us farm folk. They're gonna hear that Applebloom is mine, and think to themselves, 'Ya know…. Only stallion been at the farm long enough to be her daddy is Big Mac." Applejack laughed aloud at the expression on Twilights face. "Exactly."

"Am I… have you ever told anyone else?"

"Pinkie Pie knows. Course, I swear sometimes Pinkie Pie knows everything. Uh…." An inexplicable blush rose on Applejack's cheeks. "Rainbow Dash knows. But that's it."

Twilight nodded, then thought for a long moment. "I think you should tell the others, AJ." She raised a quelling hoof at the expression on her friends face. "Hear me out. We are your best friends, AJ. We love you, and wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Applebloom being your filly doesn't change anything other than us knowing just where she gets her stubborn attitude and sweet smile from." Twilight smiled at the shy expression crossing AJ's face. "And I think that you may be surprised at the reaction of some of the other ponies around here."

Applejack nodded. "Yah… you know Rainbow Dash was saying the same thing to me just the other night."

Twilight smiled at her friend. "See. And if she and I are agreeing on it, then it must be true."

AJ snorted. "Alright, Twi. I'll tell our friends tomorrow." She sighed alittle, "Tell ya tha truth, it would be nice to be able to treat her like my foal sometimes."

Twilight moved across the table to wrap her neck around Applejack's in a hug, who gratefully returned it.

"I better be getting back to Sweet Apple Acres… I'm gonna tell everyone at the party tomorrow. Will you be there?"

"Of course I will AJ." Twilight replied, smiling. When Applejack left, Twilight watched the door and then spoke in a normal voice.

"You can come out now, Spike."

Spike sheepishly stepped out from the shadows near the steps, and walked to Twilight with his head hung.

"How do you always know?"

BecauseIsaythatanytimeyou'reanywherenearbyandIheardsomethingsecret,andifyouheardityoualwaysadmittoit. Twilight thought with amusment, but didn't reply to the young dragon, just nuzzled against his head. "I'm just that good." She said finally, stifling a giggle.

"So Applebloom is…"

Twilight shushed him, but nodded. "Yes she is. And I trust you not to say anything until AJ and her family are ready. I know you won't let me down."

"I won't Twilight, I promise."

The next evening, the Cutie Mark Crusaders (including Scootaloo, who was in a wingsplint and several bandages but perched quite happily on Rainbow Dash's back), Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy and several friends had spent a few hours celebrating the safety of the smaller fillies and generally having a good time. As the party wound down, Applejack asked her friends to stay behind with the crusaders.

"This ain't easy, but there's somethin' I think ya'll need to know." Applejack began. Applebloom shot her a curious look, while Rainbow Dash put a wing over her shoulders while Twilight stood just to one side, offering her silent support. "Bout… bout 6 years ago, something really bad happened to me," She put a comforting hoof on Applebloom's shoulder as the filly sucked in a breath realizing what was about to happen, "And… and somethin' really good came out of it." Seeing that she had the attention of her friends, she continued. "Someone… well… I won't say what he did, but I had a foal." The eyes of all the mares not "in the know" widened almost cartoonishly, then cast back and forth between Applejack and Applebloom.

"She's yours, isn't she darling?" Rarity asked softly, and Applejack couldn't help but smile.

"Yes she is. I'm… I'm Applebloom's mother."

Silence filled the room for a long moment until a sniffling but smiling filly was picked up by her mother and placed on her back.

"Um… who…. Umm…" Fluttershy tried to ask the question on everypony's mind, but between the shock and her natural shyness couldn't form the words.

"It don't matter who it was." Applejack said firmly. "That SOB ain't in my life anymore, and I don' even know what happened to him."

"He ain't my daddy." Applebloom said firmly. "My Big… my Uncle Mac has been more of a daddy than he could be." Applejack smiled down at the fierce answer, as Pinkie Pie started bouncing.

"Ooo! This is soo cool! We need to have a party! But we just had a party… we should have a BABY SHOWER!"

"I AIN'T NO BABY!" Apple Bloom insisted, blushing.

"I appreciate the thought, Pinkie Pie, but… I'm tellin ya'll this cause I was reminded by a couple different folks that keeping secrets from friends wasn't always a good idea."

Twilight smiled at her, though it turned slightly quizzical as Rainbow uncharacteristically nuzzled a blushing Applejack. No one heard what the Pegasus whispered to applejack, but it ended with the earth pony pushing against her flank and whispering "thank you."

"I think…. I think its nice that you finally could admit to it." Fluttershy said softly. "I've suspected sometime, but hearing it was still a surprise."

"Don't expect me to judge, dear." Rarity said, "Your little…. Your filly is a good friend of Sweetie Bell, and your influence really shows in her."

The two named girls were blushing as Scootaloo muttered about "mushy stuff."

"Well, what do you think, Scootaloo."

The filly in question just shrugged. "I don't get what the big deal is. Applebloom is one of my best friends, and I think its neat that she's got a mom around to take care of her. I don't know why anything about her being born is bad."

Rainbow Dash, in an oddly maternal moment, put a hoof against the younger pegasus' head. "You'll understand someday kiddo."

"Grownups always say that." Scootaloo grumbled, then yawned.

"I better fly you home." Rainbow said, pushing the girl back into position on her back.

"I'll walk you out." Applejack said. She followed the two pegasi outside, returning a few moments later to bid everyone goodnight.

Curled up in her bed that night, she looked at the photo of her and Applebloom taken a few months before on Mother's day, smiling at the memory of the day the two spent in Fillydelphia, not having to hide their relationship as mother and foal. The thought that there may be more days like that in future kept her smiling until she fell into a deep sleep, her daughter already sleeping the next room over.