“Being honest it the Apple way,” that´s what Applejack always said.

Apple Bloom tried to live by those words but it was almost impossible when she knew that telling the truth will only bring pain.

Sweetie Belle was holding her hooves and jumping in excitement.

“I'm so happy you say yes! I can't think of any other pony to be my best mare!”

Apple Bloom smiled, doing her best to kept the truth from escaping her lips.

“I'm so excited! We need to get started on the wedding! I know Rarity will lose her head when I tell her about it!”

“You haven't told your family about this?” Apple Bloom asked her.

“Well, you remember how my parents were when I told them I was dating Scootaloo back in school. They might not like it but they're actually really traditional. Coping with Rarity´s mood swings, that´s one thing. But the idea that her own daughter is a fillyf-”

“Hey, don't say that word! It´s a nasty word said by nasty ponies! One time I accidentally said it during dinner and Big Mac gave me the spank of my lifetime!”

Sweetie Belle couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of Apple Bloom on her brother's lap being punished. It seems silly to her. Apple Bloom crossed her arms, blushing.

“Apple Bloom...”

“Yes?”

“Thank you so much for being there for me, for us. All these years, despite my family, despite Diamond and Silver making fun of us, you always stood for us. If it wasn't for you never leaving my side, I would have never endured all those months while Scootaloo was stationed in the Griffon KIngdom. You have always been our best friend.”

Apple Bloom bites her lip, the guilt bitter on her tongue. Sweetie keeps smiling, ignorant of the truth.

She doesn´t know about that night, years ago. When she got into a fight with Scootaloo, their worst fight. That she found Scootaloo drunk and hurt, among the wreckage of her motorized scooter after crashing against a tree. She got her back into their old clubhouse and tended her wounds. Scootaloo cried and rambled about Sweetie Belle and cried some more. And Apple Bloom did something really bad. A kiss was supposed to be something innocent, something harmless. But that kiss lead to another and another and finally...

“Hey, Apple Bloom!”

“Oh, what Sweetie?”

“You okay?” Sweetie asked her.

“I´m...fine. Just excited for the wedding.”

Sweetie Belle giggled and went back to her drink.

An Apple is supposed to be honest but Apple Bloom can´t be one right now. If she tells the truth she would only hurt her two best friends. Sweetie had endured too much already and so has Scootaloo. Scootaloo isn't a bad pony, she had to go through a lot of awful things when she joined the army. Sweetie is the best thing that ever happened to her and Apple Bloom can't take that away from her.

Apple Bloom played with her drink a little and then finished it in one gulp.

“Let´s go Sweetie, before the drinks get into your head.”

Sweetie pouted but Apple Bloom nudged her and paid for the drinks.

“Come on, we need to plan a wedding...”