Silver never made it to the castle. She veered off and oriented herself towards the large groves of apple trees. She soon found Big Macintosh laboring busily and came down not far from him. "Hey Big Mac. Is your sister around?"

He pointed towards the barn. "Yup."

"Thanks." Silver trotted off, leaving Big Mac to work. He seemed to appreciate the brief conversation. She arrived in time to see Rainbow Dash standing in the doorway. RD spotted her instantly and said something too quietly to hear before dashing off into the sky.

Silver frowned but proceeded forward anyway. Applejack emerged as she approached, and the two came together. Applejack looked resigned. "Well, howdy."

Silver shrugged a little. "I want to put things right. I know Rainbow's upset, and I have a suspicion you're upset too."

Applejack pointed at Silver. "Ah doubt ya can rightly do that, but ah appreciate the thought."

Silver sat on the grass. "Applejack, you're the one that put us together. If it wasn't for you, I would have just moved on to Canterlot by now. You're a friend, and I obviously hurt you. Please tell me how, and how I can fix it."

Applejack looked skywards a moment before gesturing into the barn. Silver followed her inside and the Applejack was quick to slide the door shut. "How much have ya already done figured out?"

Silver perched on a hay bale. "I'm mostly guessing here, but I'm pretty sure you and Rainbow are a thing, which is alright by me. I'm also guessing you might have had your eyes on Twilight before I rolled into town. You asked to see my, er, parts, and so did Rainbow." She rolled a hoof. "If I had to keep on guessing, I'd say you were curious about it because you want to experience the foal thing on one level or another? The part I haven't figured out is why you didn't ask Twilight."

Applejack snorted softly. "Ah figured you were clever enough to figure that part out. Ya don't just march up to Twilight and ask her that kinda question." She pointed at Silver. "You, on the other hoof, have been around. You've mothered and fathered a foal. You've been married and divorced. Heck, ya been a few different species by now. Ah reckon ya got a lot less ya get worked up about."

Silver tilted her head in thought. "I've been called a slut before, but when you say it, it's almost a compliment."

Applejack raised a brow. "Ahm gonna guess what 'slut' means. Ah don't mean no insult. Yer obviously a good pony, ya just done been around." She clopped two hooves together then rubbed them lightly against one another. "Let's get down ta business, since ya seem so keen on being honest about it." She smiled. "Ah appreciate that, by the way."

Silver returned the smile. "I really want to see this through, as responsible adults and friends."

"Good, good." Applejack settled on her belly. "Now, correct me if ahm wrong. In yer herd, yer the only one really interested in Twilight, right?"

Silver considered that with a frown. "Well... I suppose that's true. Fast and Night like her, but aren't wildly in love."

Applejack raised a hoof. "Good. Second, yer bonded to Twilight with that 'circle of princesses' right?"

Silver nodded.

Applejack pointed at Silver. "Then it's easy. Tell Twilight ya don't intend to bring her into that herd of yers."

Silver's expression went to thoughtful, then realization. "Oh! Then you two can make your own move?"

Applejack nodded slowly. "Ah figured you'd get it. Now, ah don't want to get between two ponies in love, but we ain't really gettin' between, now are we?"

Silver shook her head. "No... That's a very elegant solution, Applejack. I will let her join your herd." She smiled. "If you ever get around to inviting her. Have you even told her you and Rainbow are together?"

Applejack colored quickly. "Not all of us are so eager ta share... Just let her go, then we can decide what we wanna do, alright?"

A crash came from upstairs and Rainbow Dash suddenly came into view, looking down from the loft. "Don't you dare..." she trailed off, looking at Applejack and Silver conversing civilly. "Uh... Is everything OK?"

Applejack waved up at Rainbow. "Better than OK. Come down here." Rainbow quickly joined the other two, looking skeptical. "Silver here done figured most of it out, and she's gonna let Twilight go."

Rainbow brightened quickly. "Really? What's the catch?"

Silver pointed at herself. "I still want to be friends afterwards? You've both been great to me, and you're wonderful ponies. I don't want this coming between us, and I want you both happy."

Rainbow moved up to Silver and prodded her in the ribs. "Don't ever touch me like that again."

Applejack raised a brow. "Touch her like what?"

Silver colored quickly, "I might have tried to distract Rainbow with a little wing massage."

Rainbow's wings went out. "Little? I... I never felt like that before." She scowled. "You raped me."

Applejack rose to her hooves. "Woah now! That there's a mighty powerful word, Dash. Do you mean it?"

Rainbow stiffened. "Uh... no, I guess not. Still, don't do that again. Uncool." She turned away from Silver. "Only a mate should be touching me like that, and only if I give the OK first."

Applejack smiled gently at Rainbow. "I'll ask her how she did it, and we'll go over just the specifics together, later."

Rainbow went dark and looked away. "Oh, uh, yeah... I should get back to work." She vanished in a trail of colors.

Applejack looked back to Silver. "Ya heard her. You touch her like that without her permission and Ah'll..." She sighed softly. "Ah don't want ta hurt you, but ah will ta protect Rainbow."

Silver shook her head. "I won't, I swear." She rose up to her hooves and stretched out. "I'm sorry for being such a pain in the flank. We cool?"

Applejack nodded quickly. "We're cool." She reached out and poked Silver on a wingbase. "Haven't ya been told how sensitive a pegasus' wing joints are?"

Silver squirmed a little at Applejack's firm press. "Yes, I've... felt it before. I'm sorry. It was a stupid thing to do."

Applejack brought her hoof back and gave a thoughtful hmm. "Ah get tha idea ya done been raised by ponies with less sense ah personal space."

Silver perked a tufted ear. "I've been beaten up a fair number of times, almost raped, shapeshifted more times than I have hooves, forcefully ascended, and strongly propositioned a few times. I guess that's not very normal."

"Nope." Applejack snorted softly. "But yer heart's in the right place. Ah'll call ya out if ya go over tha line."

Silver held out a hoof to Applejack. "I'll take a good offer when it's given. I hope you tell Twilight soon, and she understands how wonderful you are."

Applejack met the hoof lightly, turning red. "Ah... Every time ah think ah have the courage, she just looked at me with those big ole' innocent eyes of hers and ah fall apart."

Silver considered the situation a moment. "Well, first thing, I have to talk to her. Second thing, have you tried a letter? She might even appreciate that approach, all things considered."

Applejack frowned with thought. "Mighty interesting thought there. Ah'll discuss it with Rainbow when she comes back from where she's hiding."

Silver moved towards the door, feeling much better then when she entered. "If something else comes up, please just talk to me. I don't offend easily." She rolled her eyes. "I've been told I'm far too quick to forgive. I don't think wanting people to be happy is a flaw."

Applejack shook her head. "Reckon not. Who's anypony getting upset at ya for forgivin'?"

"Starlight Glimmer? Do you know her?"

Applejack's frown was instant. "Ah take back what ah said. Ya can save your forgiveness for a pony that deserves it."

Silver sagged in frustration. "She apologized, and she came right up to me and gave something important back to me. I could have caught her, or zapped her, or anything. She took the first step. Why isn't she worth the same forgiveness anyone else is?"

Applejack flopped onto her haunches. "Ya look serious. Do ya know what she was doin' when we found her?"

Silver shook her head. "No, what? Twilight doesn't like talking about it."

Applejack tapped the ground. "Sit, and ah'll tell ya. Nopony should be told ta be angry at somepony else without knowing why."

Silver settled and Applejack began telling the tale of Our Town, and Starlight's part in it. "Ya see, she's not only a bad pony, but a manipulator, and a corruptor. Everything Celestia said you were, but, ya know, true. What'd she tell ya?"

Silver gave her story of their meeting on that cool evening. Applejack held up a hoof. "Woah, hold on there. The way ya say it, it sounds like she was hot ta trot with ya. The Starlight ah knew was friendly, but not that kinda friendly, ya know?" She pointed the hoof at Silver. "She was playing ya, like a galdurn fiddle. How'd you feel when she was putting the works on ya?"

Silver darkened, but spoke truthfully. "Flattered? Good... I liked being attractive that way, even if it was a little unexpected."

Applejack tipped her hat forward. "She done played ya good. She said what ya wanted ta hear ta warm ya up. Once she had ya rolled over, her sweet nothings would have turned ta a laugh and she'd run off with yer cutie mark. And good luck catching up to her then."

Silver huffed softly. "What if she really is sorry?"

Applejack raised a hoof. "Now, ah won't say it's impossible she mighta changed her mind, but the chances are mighty high against it. Ya just watch yerself around her. Better yet, don't be around her. She has crimes ta pay fer. Take her to tha guards if she's so eager to say sorry."

Silver gave a stiff little nod. "Alright... I appreciate you taking the time to actually tell me about her. All this dancing around the subject was infuriating. Heck, it made me want to know more about her!"

Applejack chuckled softly. "Yer not that different than my little sister sometimes. Figured ah should just tell ya straight and put that outta yer head. Now go on, git. Ah got work to do, real work, not hiding from you work."

Silver pulled the door open and stepped out into the sun. "If you need anything, AJ, call me." She spread her wings wide. "Be well." They shared a final wave and Silver was off, soaring back towards the castle once more.

Author's Notes:

Confusing plot points are put to rest and ponies do that talking thing they love to do.

Typos may result from translational errors.