S4 E21: Leap of Faith (What If?)
At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Big Macintosh were assisting Granny Smith with an important task: Moving some old boxes around. Naturally, they couldn't resist taking a peak inside the boxes, just to make sure nothing was broken or missing.
Suddenly, Applejack noticed what looked like an old scrapbook buried in one of the boxes. The farm mare was quick to pull it out, dust it off, and let her curious mind examine its contents. What she saw surprised her! "What in tarnation?! Is that... Granny?!" She exclaimed!
Big Macintosh spun around, noticing his sister completely entranced by the old photo album. And when he got a good look at it, he was entranced too.
"Hey now, what are you youngin''s up to?" Granny Smith snapped when she noticed her two eldest grandchildren slacking off.
Applejack presented the old scrapbook to Granny, pointing to a picture of her as a young mare dressed in what appeared to be a red swim bonnet with white polka dots, and a matching suit. "I thought you told Apple Bloom the other day that you could never go near the water without gettin' sore." She inquired of her grandmother.
Granny Smith sighed. "It's true, I can't, not anymore anyways. Guess I gotta tell you whipper snappers the story now, don't I?"
"Eeyup." Big Macintosh firmly nodded.
"I know I'd wanna hear about this, and so would Apple Bloom," Applejack added. "Seems like you've had quite the past, Granny."
Granny Smith just sighed again. "I suppose the time has come to share a part of my past I hoped to take to my grave. Guess that's just how life works."
A short time later, the elderly mare had set the well worn scrapbook down on the kitchen table, and motioned for all her grandchildren to gather round. "I wasn't always so opposed to settin' hoof in water," She told them. "Back in my youth, I was an Aqua Pony Champion, broke many swim records in my time."
Apple Bloom in particular became fascinated by the story. "Wow, I had no idea you used to do all that stuff, Granny! And I thought I knew all your stories."
Granny Smith shook her head. "There's a reason why I don't like thinkin' 'bout this part of my life. You youngin''s better listen and listen good," Clearing her throat, the elderly earth pony then explained. "I once came close to breakin' the Equestria High Dive record, that meant divin' off a huge board and into a small tub of water. That was a mistake, I missed the tub and I think you can guess what broke my fall."
"That why you gave it up?" Apple Bloom inquired.
Granny Smith nodded. "I never said bein' an Aqua Pony Champion was a smart idea. After that incident, I figured it was time to leave the thrill seekin' behind and settle down. I took over Sweet Apple Acres from my folks, met your grandpa, and the rest is history," She then closed the old scrapbook with a thud. "Still, much as I'm glad to leave my Aqua Pony days behind, there are times where I wish I was just a wee bit younger with more of a spring in my step. Why I tell ya, things would be a lot different 'round here if I could take a more active role on the farm, 'stead of just havin' my grand kids do all the work."
That comment got Applejack to thinking. "What if there's a way to give Granny Smith what she wants? Maybe there's some kind of spell or potion that could make her young again?" And that line of thought would unintentionally lead Applejack to an unexpected test of her greatest attribute, her honesty.
Applejack headed out towards town not long after that thought entered her head. The idea of turning anypony young was not something she had ever considered before. But the farm pony knew there were some options to at least consider.
"Maybe Twilight would know, seeing as she's so smart and all?" Applejack thought. But then she began to recall the last time she'd seen her friend mess with age spells, back when she was a unicorn. Even with the advanced magical abilities of an alicorn, it didn't seem likely that Twilight would have the means to grant Granny Smith's desire. Assuming there were even spells that didn't extremely age or de-age the intended pony, as Applejack had seen both extremes during the Alicorn Amulet incident.
It was then that the mare started thinking of the next most magically gifted individual she knew, Zecora. But that would mean having to go on a long trek through the Everfree Forest, and Applejack didn't even know if the zebra would be home when she arrived. All the same it wouldn't hurt to ask, maybe Zecora would have some advice she'd be willing to share.
But before any plans could be finalized, the cow pony's ears picked up a faint sound coming over the horizon. It started out low, but soon it was growing as it made its way over the hillside. It sounded almost like... music.
Now music in and of itself was hardly suspicious, after all Applejack was friends with two members of the Ponytones (to say nothing of the fact that her brother was one of its members) and she could attest to many instances of having burst into song herself. But this music sounded a lot different from the kind of tunes the orange coated mare was used to hearing, it sounded rehearsed, as if the one (or ones) performing it had practiced the tune many times.
Her curiosity aroused, the earth pony took off towards the source of the music. And soon she came upon a most unexpected sight. A massive tent had been set up somehow, all be unknownst or so it would seem.
"That tent being here can't be a coincidence. Wherever or whoever that music is coming from, it's inside." Applejack thought to herself. She made her way inside, just as her ears were sure they could pick up a stallion's voice belting out: "I won't need these crutches to dance out the door!" But her eyes had little time to try and locate the voice's owner, for they were locked onto a more important sight. Namely, two very familiar unicorn stallions with light yellow coats and red manes and tails. The one on the right had a mustache, whereas the one on the left did not. But both wore matching yellow hats.
Applejack gasped! She recognized those two stallions at once! "The Flim Flam Brothers!" She exclaimed, but no one could hear her over the production going on inside the tent. A nagging thought lingered in the farm pony's mind as she kept her eyes focused on the brothers. "What are they doing in Ponyville? It's not cider season, and I don't see that fancy contraption of theirs anywhere. What is going on here?"
An answer did not present itself to the mare until after the song had ended, and everypony in the tent had dispersed for wherever they had originally come from. Now alone in the tent, Flim and Flam quickly spotted Applejack and waved to her. "Well well, what a pleasant surprise, brother of mine," Flim commented. "One of those fine, upstanding Apples has come to pay us a visit."
Flam flashed a toothy smile as the two brothers approached their one time rival. "Miss. Applejack was it? A pleasure to make your acquaintance on this lovely day. May we ask what brings you our way?"
"Couldn't help but overhear the little ditty you had beltin' out of this here tent," Applejack answered as she eyed the brothers very carefully. Despite the pleasantness of their last visit, their attempt at driving her family out of business was a wound that still stung for the mare. "What in tarnation was that all about anyway?"
Flim chuckled as he and his brother nodded together. "Oh it was nothing that need concern you, Applejack. We came to Ponyville for a fresh start with a new business product, and that's all you need to know."
"'New business product'? But whatever happened to your old one? What was it again? The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 or somethin' like that?" Applejack inquired.
Flam sighed and shook his head. "Alas, it seems no buyers were interested in our machine, and nopony would go into business with us either. And while we pride ourselves on having built it with our own hooves, a well oiled machine like that costs money, money we didn't have. So we decided to cut our losses and put the thing out to pasture."
"I see. That's... quite unfortunate," Applejack replied, unsure of what else to say. Though she did manage to force out. "I hope you don't blame my family and I for that, we were just defendin' our home. We had no intention of makin' ya look bad."
Flam shook his head again. "Perish the thought, dear Applejack. We certainly don't blame you. Such is how business works I'm afraid."
Then a gleam seemed to come into Flim's eyes, before he gave a small vial of some kind to Applejack. "Here, take a look for yourselves at our newest product. We call it: The Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic, patent pending of course."
"'Curative Tonic'?" Applejack pondered aloud. "What could you possibly be hopin' to achieve with somethin' like that? For your information, I happen to be perfectly healthy, thank you very much!" She barely resisted the urge to blow steam out of her nostrils.
Flim playfully laughed and patted Applejack on the forehead, messing up her stentson a bit. "Come now, Applejack, surely you know we know that."
Flam was quick to add. "Why don't you give this to your dear old granny? Think of it as a gift of best wishes of you will," And with a toothy smile he explained. "Hasn't Granny Smith ever desired to feel just a wee bit younger? Before her back pain and the replacement surgery for her saggy old hip? This might be just what the doctor ordered to give her a small spring in her step."
"You tryin' to poison Granny or somethin'? I won't stand for it." Applejack threatened with a glare that would've been deadly if looks could kill.
"Now why in the wide world of Equestria would we do such a thing?" Flam innocently remarked. "Our intentions are pure. We just want Granny Smith to know we harbor no hard feelings for the cider making contest all those years back. And since we're here in Ponyville to make a new name for ourselves, we thought it'd be nice to settle old accounts. The past is in the past, let's bury the hatchet and let bygones be bygones."
Applejack eyed the vial very suspiciously, as if she suspected it was some kind of prank or trap. But no matter what angle she looked at it from, nothing about the tonic seemed off. On the surface at least, it was legitimate. "How much do I owe ya two for this?" She asked the brothers as she stored the tonic away inside her hat.
Flim shook his head. "Who said anything about money? We're giving this sample to you free of charge, after all it is a gift," Then he questioned. "That is, unless you'd like to buy more. Why not stock up on tonic now in case your granny really takes a shine to it? It won't be long before this tonic will be flying off the shelves, and it's going to be a 'First Come, First Served' basis."
"Thanks but I think I'll hold until after I know this tonic of yours is the real deal. I've got my eye on you two," Applejack cautioned. "We may not be enemies anymore, but somethin' about your sudden return seems off." And then she turned and trotted out of the tent.
As Applejack made her way back to Sweet Apple Acres later that day, the farm pony continued to find her thoughts drifting to that supposed "Miracle Curative Tonic" the brothers had given her. She hadn't taken it to Twilight, the mayor, or anypony else even though she had considered doing so.
After all, while Flim and Flam had been pushy, the last time they were in Ponyville they had run a legitimate business with their mechanical cider press. What reason would they have to peddle a fake concoction, especially if they were going to such elaborate lengths to promote it?
At the same time though, it seemed almost too convenient that the brothers had come back to Ponyville with that "tonic" in tow. If they had really wanted to start fresh, why come back to the town where their reputation had already been damaged once before?
These nagging questions lingered in the orange coated mare's mind as she entered the farm house, Granny Smith immediately taking notice of the vial her granddaughter held in her hooves. "Say, what's that ya got in your hooves there, Applejack? Some kind of medicine or somethin'?"
"Huh, this?" Applejack hastily replied. "Well, it's kind of like that I suppose. It's actually supposed to be a tonic though, at least that's what I was told."
"A tonic? Where'd you get that?" Granny Smith inquired. "You get Zecora or Twilight to brew that up after hearin' about my youngin'' days?"
Apple Bloom looked at the vial quite closely. "This doesn't look like any sort of potion or tonic I've seen before, especially not the vial. Who gave this to you, Applejack?"
"Oh, uh, that's not important right now!" Applejack defensively answered. "I was just thinkin' 'bout whether or not to give to you, Granny Smith. I don't actually know what it can do yet, but it's supposed to be a 'miracle curative tonic' from what the seller told me. You do wanna feel young again, don't ya?"
Granny Smith raised an eyebrow. "Don't go gettin' any crazy ideas about shrinkin' me back into a filly or anythin' like that!" She protested. "If anythin' happens and I can't change back, we'll all be up the river without a paddle so to speak!"
Applejack shook her head. "No no no, it shouldn't do anythin' like that, Granny. And if it can make you feel young again, don't you think there's no harm in tryin' it?"
There was a long silence, no one dared to speak a word. At last, the silence was broken by Granny Smith, who took the vial containing the tonic and declared. "Well, I'll think it over, Applejack. Don't wanna just down somethin' I got from an unknown source."
Applejack nodded. "I understand, Granny. That's all I can ask for."
The next day, the Apple siblings awoke, had breakfast, and went about their chores like usual. But there wasn't much to do at this time of year, the apples were growing splendidly on the trees and a few of 'em were ready for harvesting, but otherwise the crops were coming along just fine on their own and would not need tending to.
So the three earth ponies were down by a small stream they often frequented for swimming and fishing, opting today for the latter.
It didn't take long for conversation to drift towards the "tonic". Apple Bloom was the first one to ask. "Applejack, do you really think that tonic could actually work? That it could actually make Granny Smith young again?"
Applejack let out a sigh. "The thing is, Apple Bloom, if it sounds too good to be true then it often is. I wanna believe that tonic's the real deal as much you and Big Macintosh do. But a part of me is skeptical and probably always will be."
Then, all of a sudden, who should come swimming past but Granny Smith herself?! Somehow she'd found her old swim bonnet and suit, and was floating down the stream without a care!
"Granny!" Applejack exclaimed, instantly leaping to her hooves! "Quick, Big Mac, throw your harness!"
"My what?!" Big Macinotsh exclaimed with shock!
"Just do it! Hurry!" Applejack instructed, and then she called out to Granny Smith! "Don't worry, Granny, we'll get ya out soon! I promise!"
Reluctantly, Big Macintosh removed his shoulder harness, opting to toss it into the stream just ahead of where Granny Smith would be. But instead of grabbing hold of the object, Granny Smith opted to instead effortlessly swim around it. A short time later, she came up on dry land with the harness in tow. "Howdy, Big Mac. You dropped this in the stream. Really gotta be more careful or one of these days you might lose it for good."
"Wait just an apple pickin' minute there, Granny," Applejack protested, trotting up to her grandmother. "I thought you've given up on swimmin' after your Aqua Pony days. And what about all your back pain you still have?"
Granny Smith scoffed. "Well, I reckon it might have been a problem before I had myself a dose of that there Flim Flam Tonic! That's right, I found out who you got it from. Kind of hard to miss when it's right on the label," She then fondly exclaimed. "Why didn't you just tell me the brothers were the ones who made it? Seems like an awful nice thing for them to do."
"Wait a second, the Flim and Flam?" Apple Bloom inquired of her big sister. "As in the same Flim and Flam that tried to take over the farm?"
"Eeyup." Was all Big Macintosh decided to say on the subject.
But Granny Smith quickly spoke up in protest. "Now hold on, ya'll. That was a long time ago, and we Apples don't usually hold grudges."
"But what about the Pears?" Applejack questioned.
"That's different, and you'll understand the reason why when I think you're all darn good and ready," Granny Smith replied, moving quickly to silence the discussion of the feud. "And as for the brothers. Well, if they can make a whipper of a tonic like this, they can't be all bad. Why, just look at me. I'm fit as a fiddle!" She hummed a little tune to herself as she moved her hooves in time to the beat and ended in a pose.
"I'm glad you're feelin' good and all, Granny, but how do you know for sure it's from the tonic?" Applejack protested. "What if somethin' else is responsible? Somethin' you had for breakfast, maybe?"
Granny Smith shook her head. "You all saw what I had for breakfast, same as it always was. And you know how I know it's the tonic doin' all this?" The elderly mare proceeded to explain at length. "I looked out at the water this mornin' and I felt the same old terrifyin' aches and pains I always do. But one sip of that magic tonic and it all went away, just like that! Why, I might even get a head start on my chores today! What do you say, Big Mac-a-doo? Up for a little afternoon applebuckin' with your Granny?" She reared her back legs in the traditional applebucking pose to demonstrate her new physical dexterity.
Nervously, Big Mac answered. "Uh, no." Seeing Granny Smith like this was quite a bit more than he could currently handle. It was such a huge contrast to how she usually was.
Feeling offended by her grandson's comment, Granny Smith retorted with a spit. "Oh, quit your bellyachin'! Ya'll should appreciate gettin' to see a pro in action! With me on the team, our applebuckin' woes'll be a thing of the past!"
"Granny, it's great that you wanna help out and all. But you shouldn't push yourself," Applejack cautioned. "We don't even know what's in that tonic, or how long the effect lasts."
"You got this from Flim and Flam, didn't ya?" Apple Bloom inquired. "Maybe you should ask them."
A light bulb went off in Applejack's mind when she heard that statement. "What a great idea, Apple Bloom. We'll do that tonight."
"You think Flim and Flam will just tell you what's inside it?" Apple Bloom pondered aloud.
"If it's a genuine cure then maybe. But somehow I doubt they'll be keen on sharin' the recipe. Might have to press 'em on it." Applejack told Apple Bloom.
The two siblings set off that very evening and it wasn't long before they were able to track down the location of the tent. The music revealed its location.
But when the two earth ponies arrived, they saw a sight that they had never imagined seeing. A light turquoisish gray stallion with blueish-gray eyes, a cobalt bluish gray mane and tail loosely styled, and a cutie mark depicting two silver bits was singing. "-To dance out the door!"
Applejack nearly gasped in surprise upon seeing the stallion! "Wait a second! That's the same voice I heard yesterday!"
"You think he knows somethin'?" Apple Bloom pondered. "Just 'cause you heard his voice doesn't mean he's involved with whatever the brothers are pullin'."
"There's only one way to find out, Apple Bloom. Come on!" Applejack declared, and the two quickly went around back to confront the stallion, who was in the middle of dressing. In fact, he had a small trailer of sorts consisting of what looked like crutches, glasses, and various costumes.
Applejack quickly confronted the stallion. "Beg your pardon, Mister.... ?"
The stallion gulped and spun around to face his unexpected guests. Trembling, he confessed. "Shill. Silver Shill. Ooh, what do you two want?"
"Nothin' much, just some answers," Apple Bloom quickly replied. "Our Granny took some tonic this mornin', and now we wanna know how it works. Granny couldn't swim before, and now she can."
Silver Shill gulped, unable to stop his shaking. "What makes you think I'd know anything? Just look at me, I-I'm only part of the act!" He gasped in alarm and put his hooves to his mouth upon saying that! "Wait, you heard me wrong! What I meant to say was..."
But Applejack just shook her head. "Don't bother, I can see for myself what's goin' on here. There's not a thing wrong with you, is there? You don't need crutches, or glasses, or anythin' of the sort. You're pretendin' to be cured. And I got a pretty good idea of who's tellin' ya to do it."
"You mean he's...?" Apple Bloom began.
Applejack nodded. "I reckon he is. Flim and Flam put him up to this. So, Mr. Silver Shill, mind tellin' me what they're tryin' to accomplish with you?"
"I, uh..." Silver Shill began. "... I've already said too much! You can't know the truth! Just pretend you didn't see me and I won't tell Flim and Flam!" Then he pulled a lever. A steam whistle blew loudly, and the ensuing cloud it belched out gave the stallion the chance he needed to escape!
"After him, quick!" Applejack ordered to Apple Bloom! "We can't let him get away! He knows what's goin' on here!"
"But he could anywhere by now!" Apple Bloom protested. "Probably best if we split up, you search around the tent and I'll see if I can't track him down around here. Give me a shout if you find him."
"You sure that's a good idea, Apple Bloom? I think we'd do just as well if we stayed together." Applejack suggested.
"We'll cover more ground this way! Come on, we're wastin' time!" Apple Bloom barked out! "This is just like the movies! If we don't act fast, the bad guy's gonna get away and tell his boss everythin'!"
Reluctantly, the two Apple siblings split up. It didn't take long for Applejack to spot Silver Shill, but unfortunately for her he had already run straight to Flim and Flam, and was now cowering behind them.
"Well well well, if isn't our favorite Apple," Flim commented in a seemingly friendly tone, but if one listened closely it sounded almost like venom dripping from a fang. "Snooping around our little 'enterprise' are we? Now what did curiosity do to the cat again?"
Flam then added. "Surely you're not here to accuse us of anything. You've got no proof. And besides, why would we want to get on your bad side at a time like this?"
Applejack tried to keep her composure, determined not to let the brothers unnerve her. "I know you two are up to somethin', and don't think you can play innocent with me. You tricked me into givin' my granny a fake tonic!"
"'Tricked'? Why, you make it sound as if we made your granny buy the tonic. When in fact we merely offered it to you, and you were the one who took it home," Flim protested. "Are you saying you have buyer's remorse all of a sudden? We gave you a free sample you know, we could've easily charged the usual price."
"Don't change the fact that I know your little 'partner' here has been dressin' up differently every day and night, so he can 'pretend' to be cured." Applejack accusingly pointed a hoof at the brothers.
Flam gasped and seemed to express genuine surprise! "What's this?! A repeat customer trying to get out of paying what he owes us?! The very nerve of that stallion!"
"Drop the act! You've gotten my attention!" Applejack firmly demanded, planting a hoof in the ground. "You knew that tonic was a fake the moment you gave it to me, and against my better judgement I took it home and let Granny have some! If this is supposed to be your idea of a joke, it's not funny!"
"And what's so wrong if Granny believes the tonic is working?" Flam inquired. "We just thought it'd be nice to do her a favor. Let her feel young again, as a way to make up for our past misunderstanding. It's not like there's anything wrong with that, now is there?"
Applejack just growled. "But if Granny keeps gallavantin' around like a yearlin', then she's apt to drop from exhaustion or worse! To say nothin' of the fact that I don't even know what you really put in that vial!"
Flim looked across to Flam, the two stallions exchanging glances for a moment, before Flim sighed. "I suppose we might as well come clean, brother. Should've known we couldn't pull the wool over Applejack's eyes. What with her being so smart and all."
"Enough with the compliments, spit it out already!" Applejack demanded firmly. "I have half a mind to rat your little scheme out to the mayor, I don't think she'll take kindly to a stunt like this!"
"Relax, Applejack. The tonic is harmless," Flim reassured the mare. "Let's just say, hypothetically..."
"Theoretically..." Flam added.
"Even if our tonic were nothing more than a mixture of apple juice and beet leaves. And again, that's just a hypothetical question," Flim sort of confessed to the farm pony. "Granny Smith is the one who chose to drink it, and you're the one who chose to give it to her. So the fact of the matter is..."
"Granny Smith is happier now than she was before she tried it," Flam finished. "So, I suppose the question we ought to ask you is. Do you really want to be the pony who takes all that happiness away from her? And all because of a hypothetical, theoretical proposal? Sometimes isn't it better to not know everything and let others have their fun?"
Unprepared for the brothers question, Applejack froze up, unable to think of a response. "W-well I..."
But before the orange coated mare had a chance to think of an answer, Apple Bloom came trotting up on the scene. She hadn't overheard a single word, so she had no idea what was going on. "There you are, Applejack! Any luck findin' Mr. Silver Shill, or what's in the tonic?"
Applejack spun around. "Uh, about that, Apple Bloom," She nervously replied, while trying to keep a straight face. "Honestly, as long as it works, I... don't suppose it really matters what's in it. Granny Smith is happy, and that's good enough for me."
"Well, if it doesn't matter to you, then it doesn't matter to me either, sis. I know you wouldn't lie to me." Apple Bloom replied, unaware of what her sister knew.
The two siblings then departed from the tent without a word, and Flim and Flam just waved goodbye to them. "That's the spirit!" Flim encouraged.
"Come back any time you'd like! We've always got more!" Flam added.
The very next day, Granny Smith opted to join her grand children down at the swimming hole they frequented. But while Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big Macintosh were all enjoying themselves, Applejack couldn't bring herself to set a hoof in the water. She was too busy thinking about what Flim and Flam had said to her. "What if they're right?" She thought to herself. "Often times it seems like knowing the whole truth, means learning about things you'd rather forget. But then, what about that one time with Rarity?"
The mare shook her head. "That was different, I was young and didn't know better," She thought. "Just like when I was fooling around near that bridge, and the next thing I knew my folks were gone forever. Wasn't it better to keep that faint hope that they'd somehow made it, rather than accept the truth that they were dead? Maybe there's a limit to how honest you have to be."
But the farm pony was snapped out of her mental ponderings, when she overheard Apple Bloom calling. "Hey, Granny! Think you can buck me over the water?"
Granny Smith smiled, clad in her swimming attire once again, as she happily called out. "Why not? I ain't ever got a chance to do it with ya, or any of my grand kids for that matter. Come on, Big Mac, toss her this way! I'm open!"
Forgetting all about the "belief" Granny had about the tonic, Applejack frantically called out! "Granny, wait!"
But her warning fell on deaf ears, as Apple Bloom was tossed right to Granny Smith, who happily (but carefully) bucked her back across, shouting happily all the while. "Sorry, didn't hear you, Applejack. You wanted to say somethin'?" Granny asked a moment later.
Applejack hesitated for a moment. Flim and Flam's words still rang clear in her head. "Do you really want to be the pony who takes all that happiness away from her?" Reluctantly, all she could bring herself to say was. "Granny, don't you think maybe you should take it kinda easy?"
Granny Smith was quick to retort. "I've been takin' it easy for far too long! And now, thanks to that Flim Flam Tonic, I don't have to!" She splashed back into the water a second later.
It was then that Apple Bloom decided to ask. "Hey, Granny, you think I could be an Aqua Pony like you?"
Granny Smith smiled. "Maybe not exactly like me, but you bet your boots you can, saplin. There's nothin' to it but to do it! Why'd you ask?"
"'Cause the Ponyville swim meet is comin' up. We could enter together! Think about it, a legendary water pony like you? We'd be a cinch to win!" Apple Bloom boasted. "I might even get my cutie mark in it!"
But Granny Smith's happy expression faded, the old mare seemed to frown as she hesitantly replied. "Mm, ee, uh, I don't know about that... Bein' back in the water is one thing, but a competition is a pony of an entirely different color. Besides, I'm still a bit rusty on my Aqua Pony routine."
Against her better judgement, Applejack protested. "I don't know, Granny. A swim meet sounds pretty safe. And if that tonic lets you swim in a river and a swimmin' hole, a pool should be no problem at all. Right?"
Those words were all that was needed to convince Granny Smith, whose eyes lit up like the night sky! "Well, I'll be a tart turnover, you are right! All we need now is more of that tonic!"
As "luck" would have it, Flim and Flam were holding another show at their tent. And ponies were already lining up to buy their tonic, unaware of what it really was.
Granny Smith approached the brothers and plopped down an entire sack worth of bits as she proudly declared! "We'll take the whole case!"
"Are you saying this stuff actually works?" A pegasus mare in bandages asked.
"Well... it seems to work for Granny." Applejack answered, hoping to satisfy her guilt with that half-truth. But it only made the knot in her stomach grow deeper.
What was even worse was when Flim boasted for all to hear. "You heard it here first, folks! The Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic is Granny Smith-tested and Applejack-approved!"
"Don't delay, buy yours today!" Flam chimed in.
The pegasus mare who had previously questioned the tonic's legitimacy, smiled and proudly declared. "Well, if Applejack says it works, then that's good enough for me!"
"What have I done?!" Applejack thought to herself. "Now I've got the whole town believing in Flim and Flam's cure all tonic! Is this REALLY better than telling the truth?!"
The day of the swim meet arrived far sooner than Applejack would've liked. But despite what Flim and Flam were doing, she still couldn't bring herself to tell the truth. Every time she tried, she kept thinking about how happy Granny Smith was, and how close she and Apple Bloom had become as a result. It just didn't seem right to take that all away, even if the happiness was based on a lie. There had to be some way to tell the truth without hurting their feelings.
Sadly, all Applejack could bring herself to say to Granny Smith and Apple Bloom on the day of the swim meet. "Just remember, you two. The most important thing is to be safe and have fun, right?"
Apple Bloom nodded, but Granny Smith retorted. "Fiddlesticks! With the routine we've been workin' on, I'll be a plum puddin' if we don't win this thing! Those rank ameatures are about to get schooled!"
"Well... uh... good luck, then!" Applejack reluctantly encouraged.
"Luck? Pfft, who needs luck? We got tonic on our side!" Granny Smith proclaimed, as she and Apple Bloom made their way to the edge of the pool. Several ponies had already gone before them, but only one routine had gotten high marks from the judges.
Flim and Flam were also at the swim meet, pushing their tonic as if to flaunt their victory in Applejack's face. "Get your Applejack-approved tonic right here!" Flim called to various ponies of the crowd. "Granny Smith drinks it – why shouldn't you?"
"It's just what the doctor ordered to make you feel better!" Flam added.
Applejack tried to pay the brothers no attention, even as she sighed to herself. "If only they knew."
"Well now, if'n you'll excuse us, we got some swimmin' to do!" Granny Smith declared, and she and Apple Bloom dove into the water. Ponies watched from the stands in delight, as the two flawlessly performed their routine. Even the judges were impressed, giving tens across the board!
Naturally, once Granny Smith and Apple Bloom had finished, reports swooped down in droves to cover the success story. Cameras feverishly clicked as one reporter asked. "I have to say, that was some of the most amazing aquabatics I've ever seen! Tell me, what's your secret? How in Equestria did you do it? Hard work? Lots of practice?"
"Yeah, all of that. But mostly it's the tonic!" Granny Smith proudly declared.
Flim and Flam quickly rushed over, eager for another chance to promote their product. "That's Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic, to be precise." Flim chimed in.
"So buy it now, while supplies last. Better hurry, this thing's flying off the shelves!" Flam declared. And the cameras clicked like mad.
But Applejack's eyes were drawn to the presence of Silver Shill, no longer wearing crutches but still sporting his fake glasses. "What are you doin' here?" She gasped!
Silver Shill smiled. "Oh, things are going so well that Flim and Flam gave me a promotion! Just made my first bit as a salespony. No more costumes for this pony," He was quick to correct. "This is more of a uniform."
Applejack only replied with. "If you say so."
Silver Shill nodded. "I do. But you know, I used to wonder if I was doing the right thing. Pretending to be cured, basically lying to folks about this tonic. But thanks to you, I realized that sometimes honesty isn't the best policy."
Applejack gulped. Those words made her feel as if she'd been stabbed with a dagger. "Thanks to... me?"
Silver gave a firm nod. "I don't even care that the tonic was originally my creation. Flim and Flam approached me and offered to help me turn it into something ponies would buy. I thought they were crazy trying to pass it off as a tonic, especially one that can cure all your ills. But having you give your stamp of approval, now ponies can't get enough of it. As long as it's not actually harming them, who cares if they don't know the whole story behind what they're drinking?"
Meanwhile, Apple Bloom was giddily bragging to reporters about the tonic. "With Flim Flam's magical Curative Tonic, my granny can do anything! Just ask Applejack! She says the one who gave it to Granny originally!"
But at that moment, Granny Smith suddenly pushed past all the reporters, amidst gasps from the crowd! "She's actually gonna do it! She's gonna break the high dive record!" An excited audience member exclaimed in delight, and the crowd fell into an awed hush!
"Granny!" Applejack shouted, rushing after the elderly mare to try and stop her from doing something she'd regret! "Can't believe I let it go on for this long! What was I thinking?!" She mentally complained to herself!
Even Flim and Flam seemed worried about Granny Smith's decision. "Now, Granny Smith. You just won your first swim meet in who knows how many years," Flim protested. "You've more than demonstrated our tonic's effectiveness. There's no need to push yourself even further!"
"I have to agree with my brother on this one!" Flam added in a nervous tone of voice as beads of sweat poured down his face! "Please, Granny Smith, think about what you're doing! Just because you can do anything, doesn't mean you should do everything!"
But Granny Smith refused to listen! "Why should I stop now?! I'm finally about to accomplish what I should've accomplished years ago! All thanks to your wonderful tonic!"
Just as Granny Smith was about to climb up the ladder and make her attempt, however, Applejack protested. "Granny, you gotta stop! Please, listen to Flim and Flam! If you mess this up, not even the tonic's gonna help you get better! You'll be sore for who knows how long?! Heck, you might even end up in the hospital, or worse!"
"Relax, sugarcube, that tonic's made the impossible possible!" Granny Smith boasted. "You said it yourself! And you're the one who first gave it to me! I know you, Applejack. You ain't a liar. If you say the tonic is what it is, then I believe you. And if this tonic can really do all these wonderful things, why shouldn't I take advantage of it?" She proceeded to take a sip from the vial containing the tonic.
And in that moment, the sun glared off the vial and a rainbow reflected in Applejack's eyes. The farm mare knew what she had to do. She swatted the vial away and loudly declared. "I hate to disappoint everypony, but there's no way Granny could have made that dive, because this tonic is a fake!"
Everypony gasped, as the bandaged pegasus from a few days ago inquired of Applejack. "A fake?! But you gave it your stamp of approval!"
Amidst whispers from the crowd, another mare spoke up and asked. "Are you saying you lied? You, the most honest of all ponies?"
Applejack sighed and reluctantly confessed. "... I am," The crowd gasped all over again, and Applejack waited for the gasps to die down before she explained. "I didn't mean to! But everypony seemed so much happier, I couldn't bring myself to tell any of you when I found out the tonic wasn't real. I know it was wrong. And I just hope with time, I can win back everypony's trust."
"You sayin' this stuff doesn't actually work?" Granny Smith asked with a raised eyebrow. "Then how do you explain all that aquabatics stuff I just did with Apple Bloom? Or the fact that I can swim no problem and without any pain?"
"Yeah. If it wasn't the tonic doin' that, what was it?" Apple Bloom added.
Applejack put a hoof to her chin. "Maybe it was the tonic, but not in the way we think. I reckon sometimes you can forget what you're capable of, and it just takes a little extra confidence to remember that it was inside of you all along. That doesn't mean you can just lie to others about what your tonic can do though."
"Okay, okay, so maybe we went a little overboard with the marketing," Flam confessed. "Still, even you are admitting that tonic can boost confidence."
"And besides, it's good for you. So you should drink it anyway," Flim added. "A mixture of apple juice and beet leaves is actually quite healthy."
"But it's not yours, you didn't make it!" Silver Shill loudly spoke up, removing his glasses and uniform. "In fact, it's not even a tonic at all! I should know because I was the one who made it originally! All this time I've been afraid to speak up and let the two of you call the shots! Watching Applejack save Granny from a reckless decision and then admit to lying, well, that made me realize I too was making ponies believe in a thing that just wasn't so!"
Flim and Flam both gulped. "Looks like the jig is up, brother," Flim commented. "Now we're gonna have to pay all these ponies back, we're right back to square one."
"I told you we should've just gone to Las Pegasus instead!" Flam grumbled under his breath. "At least there we could've made a name for ourselves instead of being reduced to this low. Before, we ran a legitimate business."
"And yet nopony would do business with us," Flim complained. "Besides, this was your idea. Maybe it's time I started calling the shots around here. And I say that, as soon we as we pay back what we owe, we hightail it out of here and never come back."
Meanwhile, Silver Shill trotted up to Applejack and gave her a bit. "Thank you, Applejack. You really inspired me with your willingness to admit you were lying," He then told her. "Here, I got this bit through dishonest means, by tricking an innocent pony with a con that went on far long than it ever should have. That was a mistake I won't be making again! I'd like you to have it, as a reminder of how you helped me finally see the truth."
Applejack was skeptical of accepting the gift. "I don't know about this, Silver Shill. It ain't mine."
But Silver Shill was quick to reassure the mare. "Oh, don't worry. I'll track down the pony I sold that worthless tonic to and give him another bit to replace this one! Honest." And then he left to go do just that.
Applejack then turned to Granny Smith and apologized. "I'm sorry for all of this, Granny. I thought somethin' was up when Flim and Flam gave me the first batch of tonic for free, but I didn't say anythin'. Then I just the whole thing spiral out of control, just 'cause I wanted to see you be happy again. I hope this doesn't mean you'll stop swimmin'."
Granny Smith replied. "Why in tarnation would I do that? Besides, this is partially my fault for not askin' the right questions. If I'd really wanted to, I could've found out for myself what was in that tonic at any time," Then she smiled. "But it's funny, seems like this is the second time in your life you've come to value honesty above all else. And that alone makes me feel almost ten years younger."
Applejack tried not to blush.
Later that day, Applejack was jotting down a journal entry detailing her experience and the lesson she had learned. It went something like this:
Bein' honest sure gets hard when it seems like the truth might hurt somepony that you care about.
It can be temptin' not to ask questions if it means maintain' an innocence about somethin'. Ignorance can seem like bliss, and maybe sometimes it is.
But when you refuse to be honest and let yourself be part of a lie for no good reason, all you do is make the truth hurt even more.
Learnin' when to tell the truth can be just as hard as learnin' how much of it to tell. In the end, honesty may not always be the best policy, but for me at least, it's a policy that's worth livin' by.
Applejack then left to go join Granny Smith and Apple Bloom down at the watering hole. And as she left, she was unaware that the bit she had gotten from Silver Shill, gave off a rainbow glow.
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Hello there. Thanks immensely for getting the next batch of your "What Ifs"? Up and running. Again, I can understand the reasoning you gave in the author's notes for the re-write. The exchanges, characterizations, general episode wrap-up and references to future episodes (including another one you re-wrote earlier) were quite well done too. Anyway, on to the next chapter/episode.
That hypothetically sounds like a healthy drink, albeit with its healthy effects hyped with regard to degree of efficacy.
I’ll admit, I do like your versions of Flim and Flam better than the canon ones, since they are portrayed a bit more sympathetically.