After school, Fluttershy made her way up the long, sunny, dirt road towards Applejack’s farm, the afternoon sun warming her face. Her backpack thumped lightly against her back as she walked. Passing by the fence Sunset threw Big McIntosh through, now repaired, Fluttershy suppressed a shudder. “I don’t want to do this, but I’ve put this off for far too long.”

It was another half-hour before she arrived at Sweet Apple Acres and heard Applejack’s familiar voice.

“Yeehaw, Winona! Head ‘em up, girl!” Fluttershy could hear Winona’s barking before Applejack spoke again. “Steer ‘em left, girl. That's it. Yer doin’ good!”

Picking up the pace a bit, Fluttershy got to Applejack’s farm house and took a seat on the front porch, watching Applejack and Winona corral some sheep into a pen. Spotting Fluttershy on her porch, Applejack gave her faithful, furry friend one final command, letting Winona know it was time to come in. Shaking her body excitedly, Winona barked happily as Applejack handed the small Border Collie a treat before the pair headed for the house.

“Applejack, we need to talk,” Fluttershy said grimly when Applejack came near, adding, “It's about Sunset. I know you might not want—”

“Ah don’t wanna talk about Sunset anymore, Fluttershy,” Applejack interrupted, opening the front door of the house and letting Winona inside. “All Ah’ve done is talk about her and how Ah screwed things up.” Looking down, she added, “Look, Ah know Ah made a fool of myself during the Anon-a-Miss fiasco, but Ah—”

Her words were cut short when Fluttershy thrust her camera into Applejack’s hands. “Do you remember this camera, Applejack?”

Applejack turned the camera over in her hands, thinking. Eventually, it came to her. “Yeah, Ah remember. Ah helped ya pick it out, Ah think. Why, what about it?”

“I brought it because I want you to know what caused Sunset to turn on us.” The girls walked inside, and Applejack pensively started to get a fire going in the fireplace. Fluttershy waited for her friend to say something. When it was clear Applejack would say nothing, Fluttershy continued, “Applejack, listen. After Sunset flew away with Pinkie and me, she gave that camera back to me. I didn’t want to watch it, but I just had to know why Sunset did what she did.”

“Wh-What do you mean ‘gave it back to ya’? Ah thought you lost it.”

Taking a seat on the couch, Fluttershy sighed. Sensing something was wrong, Winona trotted up to Fluttershy and placed her head into the shy girl’s lap, letting out a soft whimper. Gently stroking the dog’s soft fur, Fluttershy gulped lightly, dreading the conversation to come. Applejack finished lighting the fire and took a seat in a recliner, waiting for Fluttershy to continue.

“I didn’t lose it, exactly. I loaned it to Sunset, and she never got around to giving it back...until recently.” Fluttershy helped Winona onto the couch, laying the dog’s head on her lap. “Pinkie and I were trapped inside a bathroom at the park after we were chased by wild dogs. If it wasn’t for Officer Jade, we would’ve been trapped all night.”

“Ah see.” Applejack sighed, closing her eyes before finally saying, “Ah really screwed up, Fluttershy.” She pulled her knees up to her chest. “Ah know what’s on that tape, and Ah really don’t wanna watch it. Ah’ve played that awful day over and over again in my head over the past few months.”

Fluttershy chewed her lip a bit. Wordlessly, she got up and headed for the door. Winona began to follow but stopped at Fluttershy’s command. Looking back, she said hesitantly, “I want to talk to you outside without Winona, Applejack.”

“A-Alright,” she replied. Getting up, she said to Winona, “Stay, girl. I’ll be back in a minute.”

As Applejack got outside, Fluttershy turned and began to slowly walk down the path toward one of the many orchards. Applejack followed, noting the tears that dripped from Fluttershy’s chin onto her boots, staining them a dull green. Finally getting tired of the silence, Applejack rushed to catch up to Fluttershy and said, “Why did you come here, Fluttershy?”

“Why did you ask me to give her that ultimatum?” Fluttershy suddenly asked. “We’re the reason that Sunset turned on everyone. She saw our conversation, Applejack. She saw you demand that I force her to talk. But…she also saw me agree to do so.” Fluttershy huddled into herself, holding herself as she sobbed. “It was my fault, Applejack. It was all my fault.”

Applejack gently pulled her sobbing friend into a warm hug, running her fingers through Fluttershy’s soft hair as her own tears began to fall. “It ain’t yer fault, Shy,” Applejack said. “Ah’m the one that told ya ta talk to her. Ah screwed up back then, and…and Ah screwed up again. And worst of all, Ah don’t know how to fix it.”

Slowly, Fluttershy pulled away, her jaw trembling slightly as she calmed down. Sniffling, she wiped a hand over her eyes, saying, “What did you do, Applejack?”

Applejack paused, then, to Fluttershy’s shock, she turned and bolted back to the farmhouse. Fluttershy immediately sped after her, her burst of speed overtaking Applejack’s more controlled pace, and tackled her friend to the ground. The two rolled over on the ground, eventually coming to rest with Applejack on top of Fluttershy. Their eyes locked for a few minutes. Fluttershy saw only pure pain in Applejack's eyes. Getting off of her friend, Applejack sat on the ground, pulling her knees and legs up to her chest.

“Tell me, Applejack,” Fluttershy snapped. “Tell me what you did to her!”

“Ah can’t. You’ll only think the worst of me!” Applejack screamed back. “Ah hate myself for it.”

Grabbing her friend by her forearms and pulling her off the ground, Fluttershy stared Applejack down and snapped, “For God’s sake, just tell me already!”

“Ah don’t wanna lose you too, Fluttershy!” Pushing her off of her, Applejack tried to flee again, but Fluttershy grabbed her shoulders and forced her to the ground. Applejack barely had time to grunt from the impact before she felt a heavy weight on her chest and shoulders. She opened her eyes, blushing as she found Fluttershy sitting on top of her, holding her arms down with her hands.

“Alright, fine!” Fluttershy snapped. “Don’t tell me! Instead, tell me why you told me to give Sunset that ultimatum. Why were you so bent out of shape about Sunset’s hidden past? None of the rest of us cared anywhere near as much as you did. What was your problem?”

“A-Ah was suspicious. She never talked about it, so Ah thought she was hidin’ somethin’. Ah already told ya, remember?”

Something was off about Applejack’s answer. She kept her eyes away from Fluttershy’s, which could just have been because of her guilt, but Fluttershy knew Applejack better than that now.

“You’re lying,” Fluttershy said softly, incredulously. “You weren’t suspicious of her at all, were you?” When Applejack fell silent, confirming Fluttershy’s own suspicions, Fluttershy clenched her teeth and said, “Okay, spill it, Applejack. You lied to me back then, and you’re lying to me now. I deserve to know why you wanted me to talk to Sunset.”

“Ah was jealous, alright?!” Applejack shouted. “When Sunset joined our group, you spent all yer time with her. We hardly ever saw ya without her by your side. You two were so close, and ya spent so little time with us! You spent so little time…with me.”

Fluttershy’s insides twisted. “No…”

“Yeah,” Applejack said, still avoiding eye contact. “Ah had feelings for ya.” Applejack paused. “Still do.”

Fluttershy slowly got off of Applejack, trying to ignore the position they were just in, and Applejack rose, dusting herself off. Fluttershy stared at her in shock at the revelation, but soon, her shock morphed into anger. Stepping back again, her hands formed tight fists as she lowered her head, letting her hair fall over and cover her face.

“How…How could you ask me to do something like that if you loved me, Applejack?” Fluttershy finally said. “I can’t believe you. Sunset was our friend. She was my friend. One of my closest friends. And you tried to convince me to destroy my friendship…because you were jealous?” Fluttershy struggled to keep herself calm. “How could you possibly think I’d return your affections after you had me do that?” She stalked over to Applejack and forced the farmer to look her in the eyes. “What did you do to her?”

Finally surrendering, Applejack closed her eyes and said, “She was trying ta convince us ta press charges on her fer what she did to us. We told her we wouldn’t and that we needed to be punished instead of her.” Applejack took a deep breath and continued, “Ah told her we didn’t deserve her friendship and that until we learn what it means to live by the Elements, we can’t be friends.”

Applejack suddenly found herself once more violently hitting the ground, her cheek throbbing. She looked up in shock to see Fluttershy glaring down at her, her fist clenched tightly.

“How could you?!” Fluttershy screamed in rage. “How could you say those things to her, Applejack?! Sh-She needed us to be there for her. I still wanted to be her friend!”

Getting back up, Applejack shouted back, “Don’t you think I know that? Ah feel awful about it, about all of this! Ah don’t know how ta—”

“Save it, Applejack!” Fluttershy shouted, interrupting her. “If you’re so quick to throw away friendships, then we’re not friends anymore, either! I hate you!” Fluttershy quieted a bit, but before she turned away, she said coldly, “Apple Bloom always did take after you.”

With that, Fluttershy bolted back down the path, sobbing. Feeling hollow, Applejack walked back inside her house, falling to her knees after shutting the door. Winona rushed over to her, licking her master's chin and laying her head into Applejack’s lap as the girl cried in pain, rage, and despair, her heart broken and her friendship with Fluttershy utterly shattered.

Next Chapter: 1500 Hours (Edited by Icecreammac) Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 43 Minutes