My Little White Lie

by ForestTrails482

Chapter 12: Better late than never

Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!

Every fiber in Big Mac's body was telling him to stop. He had been running nonstop since Pinkie Pie told him that his sister was back. He was sweating from every pore, his lungs were on fire, and running with just three legs did not make it any easier.

But he had to get back to the barn!

He had to get there before Applejack!

Fruit Blender's very life was on the line!

*Mental Slap*

Get a hold of yerself Big Mac! Applejack's not that kind of pony!

Still, remembering how he treated Fruit Blender last night (back when he thought that the changeling put a hex on his sister), he figured that he better get home before Applejack introduced Fruit Blender into a world of hurt, population: 1.

---

Taking only three minutes (maybe four) to get there, Big Mac hung his body on the front door, gasping for air as his lungs tried to catch up. That run was by far the fastest two-mile, three-legged race of his life. But now wasn't the time to celebrate. For all he knew, maybe he was too late.

The stallion looked up, and to his surprise the living room was all spick and span. No furniture was broken, no books or antiques on the floor, no banged up walls. Heck, there wasn't even a drop of blood on the floor.

Did... did I beat her here?

"AAAHHHH!!!"

Nope!

Quickly getting back onto his hooves, Big Mac stumbled as fast as he could up the stairs. Running into Apple Bloom's room he shouted:

"APPLEJACK STOP!!! I can explaaa... Huh?"

Applejack was nowhere to be found. The only ponies (plus changeling) were Granny Smith, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Fruit Blender. All eyes were on Big Mac, starring at him as if he was the weirdest thing in the room.

Upon closer examination, Big Mac noticed the ice pack in Granny Smith's hoof. Looking at that and Fruit Blender's swollen nose, Big Mac realized that Fruit Blender didn't scream because Applejack was in the process of beating him up; it had already happened and it was the ice pack that caused the changeling to scream.

Scratching the back of his head, his face forming a grimace, Big Mac said:

"I'm late, aren't I?"

With a angry, nasally voice, Fruit Blender said:

"Eeyup."

---

Out on the edge of the barnyard, Apple Bloom had just finished telling Applejack the part of the story where Fruit Blender saved Big Mac and her from the timber wolves. She was about to continue her story when she was interrupted by Fruit Blender's scream, followed by Big Mac's late outburst.

Giggling to herself, Apple Bloom said:

"Sounds like Big Mac is home."

"Good! I've got a bone ta pick with that stallion!"

This caught Apple Bloom by surprise.

"Huh?! What for? It wasn't his fault that Scootaloo knew how to pick locks."

"Not that. I'm referring to the fact the he went chasing after a changeling into the Everfree Forest, when he could see that you were no longer in it's clutches."

"Oh... yeah." Apple Bloom giggled nervously as she scratched the back of her head. "When ya put it that way, it does sound rather foalish."

"Foalish?! Ya both could have died!"

"Yes, but we're still here! And you have Fruit Blender to thank for that."

Hearing that statement, Applejack looked away in frustration.

Thank him? Hmph. That varmint didn't thank me when I saved his life. Why should I thank him?

Apple Bloom could tell that her sister was still mad at Fruit Blender. She couldn't blame her. After all, Applejack had more reason then the rest of them to hate Fruit Blender. But she knew that her sister was capable of forgiving him. She had seen it!

"Applejack, I know that Fruit Blender has done terrible things, but can't ya find in yer heart ta forgive him? Ya did the same thing for Princess Luna."

Applejack turned her attention back to Apple Bloom, her expression softening as she did.

"Spike destroyed half of Ponyville last year, but you forgave him too."

That was true. What might have happened had she and her friends not forgiven Spike? Things might have ended different if he wasn't there to help save the Crystal Empire.

"And ya forgave me... even after my friends and I wrote that lie about ya in our Gabby Gums column."

"..."

Okay, now Applejack knew that she was gonna have to forgive this changeling. Maybe he didn't deserve it. Maybe she didn't want to. But if she didn't forgive him, how could her sister believe that she had truly forgiven her?

(sigh) "Apple Bloom, can ya go get Fruit Blender? If I'm gonna forgive this changeling, I gotta be able to look him in the eyes as I do."

Smiling with satisfaction, Apple Bloom gave her sister a quick hug. After releasing Applejack, the little filly ran for the barn house as fast as she could.

(sigh)

Celestia give me strength.

---

You can do this Fruit Blender. You can do this.

Following Apple Bloom's lead, Fruit Blender left the safety of the barn house and started to slowly make his way toward Applejack. The changeling swallowed nervously when that said mare turned her head in their direction (having heard the door behind them close).

This is it. No turning back. Time to do or die.

Applejack stood and waited patiently as her sister and the changeling closed the gap. What caught her attention was how Fruit Blender was approaching her. He was marching at her like one of those stoic soldiers in Celestia's army; emphasis on the stoic part.

There was no emotion on his face whatsoever.

Is he even sorry for what he's done? For a changeling who wants my forgiveness, ya have a funny way of showing it.

Applejack's disgust did not go unnoticed.

Uh-oh. The angry eyes. Why is she giving me the angry eyes? I'm doing exactly what 3-9-5 did when he stood before Mother; and she went easy on him.

The thing is, in a changeling swarm, giving a stoic face and standing tall was expected from a changeling queen. It was a way of showing that you were not going to deny your failings and that you would except whatever punishment was given. Sure, he didn't do this when he apologized to Granny Smith nor Big Mac, but he wanted to make this apology better. Applejack was the one whom he had wronged the most.

When he was a pony's length away from her, Fruit Blender came to a halt. Both he and Applejack stood there quietly, waiting for the other to speak first.

Remember Fruit Blender, she speaks first. It's custom to let the queen speak first.

Applejack didn't take it kindly.

What?! Yer not even gonna apologize for doing the things that ya did ta me and Apple Bloom?! Yer the biggest jerk that I've ever met! I should have expected this after the way ya thanked me when I saved yer life!

Apple Bloom could see the anger growing on her sister's face.

Come on Fruit Blender! What are you doing?! Say something! Please!

After two minutes of tense silence, Applejack was the first to break it.

"Fine! Be a jerk! I don't even know why I bothered trying!"

Applejack stomped past Fruit Blender angrily. Before she got far, Fruit Blender reached out and shouted:

"WAIT!!! What did I do wrong?!"

(tire screech)

If Applejack wasn't angry before, she was certainly angry now.

Why you no good, rotten, son of a cockroach!

Turning around, she shouted:

"What did ya do wrong?! I sent my sister to bring ya out here so that I could accept yer apology! And ya don't even have the decency ta say a simple, YER SORRY?!"

"I was waiting for you to speak first! It's respectful!"

"Respectful?! Everypony knows that the pony who's apologizing speaks first!"

Oh flip! I forgot. Ponies have different customs than us changelings. Bone-head! Bone-head! Bone-head!

"Wait! I'm sorry! Really! I forgot that your not a changeling!"

"What does that got ta do with anything?!"

"Changelings do what I did, when they're apologizing to their queen!"

There was a small pause, as Applejack took a moment to process what Fruit Blender just said.

"Wait, y'all don't just say yer sorry?"

"We do, but not until after our queen chastises us. She lists off all of the things we've done wrong, so that we can then accept that we have done those things and accept her punishment."

That made things a little better for Applejack. But if she was gonna forgive this changeling, he was gonna have to apologize their way.

"That may be the case for you changelings, but for us ponies if ya don't look sorry, then it's only fair to assume that yer not sorry."

"I am sorry! Honest! Just tell me how you ponies apologize to your queens and I'll do it!"

Now he was really starting to annoy her.

"I AM NOT A CHANGELING QUEEN!!! GET IT THROUGH YER THICK SKULL!!!"

"I KNOW THAT! I'm just trying to make this apology better than the others, okay?!"

Wait... what?

"Why does mine have to be so special?"

(sigh) “Because I have wronged you the most."

Apple Bloom smiled, happy to see that they were now making progress.

"Because ya almost sucked the love out of me?"

"No."

"HMM?!!"

"I MEAN, YES!!! I'm sorry for doing that! But the reason I tried to make your apology special was because I wanted to make up for treating you like trash."

Seeing that she wouldn't respond, Fruit Blender hung his head in shame as he continued to speak.

"You were the first one to ever show me kindness. You saved my life, and I spat in your face. I thought I was pathetic because I am the defect of my swarm, but I'm pathetic because I'm an ungrateful jerk. So... I'm sorry. Really, truly sorry. And... thank you... for saving my life, even though we both know I didn't deserve it."

Applejack didn’t know what to say. She was surprised by Fruit Blender's shame and self-loathing. Before she left for the Crystal Empire, she would have liked nothing more than to see this creature suffer for his crimes. But seeing him like this, all she wanted now was for the pain to go away.

So, placing her hoof gently on the changeling’s shoulder, she waited for him to look her in the eye. When he did, she gave him a warm smile and said:

“I forgive you.”

Author's Note:

I want to give a big shout out to all of my readers, followers, and commenters. You make writing this fanfic all the more fun!

"Yay!"

Comments

[Death Moon]

Beutiful Story! New New Chapter please!

[SilverDiamond]

So... Next chapter SHE better start apologising...

[Green-Venom]

population: 1

Why was this written? Did I miss a joke?

---

This apology was almost ruined by cultural differences.

[ForestTrails482]

11581471
Just fixed that sentence. It was supposed to be an add-on to that world of hurt statement. My bad.