The Little Pony Legend: Tales of Equestria

by MaggiesHeartLove

Chapter 17–Leap of Faith

"You know, I've heard it said that Honesty is the best policy. I've come to realize that is in fact true. And do you know who demonstrates that better than anypony else I know?

Applejack, the Element of Honesty of course!

No matter how hard it may be, Applejack will always tell it like it is. But, what happens when the situation does require for you to tell the truth, even if the truth isn't what somebody needs to hear?

Well, even our humble A.J. had to learn that the hard way. And believe you me, it wasn't as easy as you might think….

*(~)*

1 John 1:8-10~

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."

*(~)*

Leap of Faith

Korra giggled as she happily splash in the lake with Applejack and Big Mac. It was a beautiful sun shinning day in Equestria, and Korra took the time to spend some quality time with Applejack and her family. Tenzin had her working overtime in practicing her airbending. While learning the element had been fun for the longest time, the lessons started to become repetitive and she felt more like a prisoner on the island, just as she did in the compound. Living in Equestria was probably the only place where she felt she could truly be herself.

The Apple Family was having an outing on the lake, with the two eldest siblings already splashing and having fun. Big Mac wore a blue duck floaty around himself, and laughed as he and his sister happily splashed one another. Korra dove down into the lake and surprised the two by tickling their hooves, starling the two. Once Korra surfaced, the two siblings began splashing her, which only made the trio laugh.

From the shoreline, Apple Bloo, wearing a pair of orange floaties around her front legs, looked longingly from afar. "Just one more time? Please?" the little filly's big eyes shimmered. A trick nobody could resist.

Applejack smiled, "Alright, but this is the last one."

With a wide smile, Apple Bloom galloped ahead and jumped on a rock, leaped onto Big Mac's back, summersaulted onto Applejack, who used her hinged legs to toss her little sister upwards, while Korra created a water slide with her bending and Apple Bloom waved her hooves with glee as she splashed into the waters.

"Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Woooo!"

The splash itself was so big it was enough to wake up a sleeping Granny Smith, who was napping on her rocking chair next to a bucket of freshly picked apples. The waters soaked her to the bone, and even a fish landed on her head before it jumped back into the water.

"Who done that?!" Granny asked once Apple Bloom's head popped out of the water, spitting the liquids out of her mouth once she did.

"Sorry, Granny Smith." Korra said sincerely.

"Oh, that's quite alright, dearie. Just be careful where ya'll are splashin'."

"It's really great you could hang out with us today, Korra." Apple Bloom said, "I thought you'd be off practicin' with Tenzin or spending time with Mako--Hey!" Apple Bloom received a splash to the face curtesy of her sister, no narrowed her eyes at the young filly, who quickly realized her slip up once she noticed Korra's saddened expression. "Oh…sorry. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." Korra replied, trying her best to hide the disappointment in her voice. "It's just, Mako's been busy with work lately. I haven't had much time to spend some quality time with him in three weeks."

"I'm sure he's doin' his best to make time." Applejack said in encouragement. "You know he took this job because of you, right? I mean, before he was more interested in makin' money off of his pro-bending matches, and now he's doing his best to help protect the city like you."

"I know, and I'm really proud of him. But, lately it feels like his job has been keeping him away rather than bring us closer."

"Just give it time, sugarcube. Mako's just growing up is all."

"I just hope we're not growing apart." realizing her comment brought down the mood, Korra face palmed herself. "Er! Sorry, I didn't mean to bring you guys down with my problems."

"Don't worry about it."

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom agreed, "We're here for you if you ever need us."

"Eeyup!" Big Mac replied with a confident smile.

Korra felt tucked by their kindness. "Thanks you guys."

Granny Smith then spoke up, "Besides, he'd have to have apple sauce on the brain to ever give you up."

"That's very sweet, Granny." Korra replied, "Sure you don't want to come swimming with us?"

"Uh, sorry, dear. I just can't bring myself anywhere near that there swimmin' hole."

"How come?" Apple Bloom asked curiously.

"Well, I wasn't always this way…"

"Oh, oh." Applejack said with a soft shake of her head.

"What?" Korra asked.

"Granny's haven' another of her flashbacks again." and Applejack was proven right as the elderly pony began reenacting the events in her mind.

"Time was, I was an aquapony all-star! In fact, I was the only Apple to ever come close to breaking the Equestria high-diving record! Falling six stories into a deep dish pie pan takes a toll on the hindquarters. Oh, I was so sore, took years before I could even look at the water again! Just the idea of swimmin' makes my whole body ache!" Granny's body shivered and crackled as she got off of her chair and walked a few feet towards the others, "Besides, these old legs can't even paddle fast enough to stay afloat." she said, just when her hooves stepped on a small puddle, which was caused by Apple Bloom's splash, and began to slip but managed to find her balance quickly once Korra kindly bended the water off from under her. "Oh, thank you, dear."

"Boy, I sure would hate to be afraid of swimmin'." Apple Bloom said, "You think I'll ever be scared of the water?" she asked…her eyes then widened when she saw what appeared to be the back dorsal fin of a shark approaching. The little filly shrieked and instinctively leaped into Korra's arms for safety. However, the so called "shark" turned out to be only Big Mac with a fake dorsal fin attached to his head.

"Nope."

The joke still made the others laugh, even Korra who gently placed Apple Bloom back in the water. "What about you Korra? Have you ever been afraid of anything?"

"Of course." Korra replied, feeling comfortable in confessing such truth. "I was pretty scared when I faced Amon. But, even if I didn't want to admit it before, I learned that being scared doesn't make you any less brave. In fact, if you are willing to do what's even, even when you're scared, that's real courage right there." Apple Bloom laughed as Korra lifted her up and spun her around. "And you, little filly, are going to grown up to be an incredibly brave young pony!"

Applejack smiled as she watched Korra play with Apple Bloom. The Avatar just looked so natural with the child, so happy and content, so secure in her own skin. It was no wonder the Avatar often felt more at home with ponies than humans.

If anything, Korra was practically a pony already.

(~)

"Wow, Granny. I still can't believe you were a high diver!" Korra said as she and the rest of the Apple Family made their way back to the farm. Big Mac pulled the wagon with their things as they walked along the road with a pair of white picket fences on opposite sides of the road.

"The best one in Ponyville!" the elderly pony said with great pride.

"Do you think I could be a high diver?" Apple Bloom asked, to which her older siblings responded with...

"Nope."

"Absolutely not."

Apple Bloom then looked up at Korra, on hopes she would say something in contrast to what her siblings just said. "Sorry A.B. I'm going to have to side with them on this one."

"But–"

"Now you hold your horsefeathers, little seed!" Granny smith said. "I never said bein' a high diver was a smart decision! It's incredibly dangerous!"

"I know, but–"

"She's right." Korra said. "It's easier for waterbenders because you can manipulate the water to soften your fall. But if you're not…well…" she pointed her thumb downwards and blew a raspberry to emphasis her point.

"It is the riskiest, scariest, darn-fool thing I ever did do!" Granny said to her youngest grandchild, briefly stopping their walking once she turned to face the child. "That's not to say I didn't wish I was still young and spry and confident, but let's leave the flyin' through the air to the Pegasi."

"Wow, when you put it that way, it doesn't sound so fun."

Korra raised her hand as if she were a student asking the teacher a question. "Uh, is anypony else noticing the large number of injured ponies or am I going crazy?"

Just as Korra said, there was indeed a very large group of ponies heading their way and walking pass them. And just as Korra said, they were all terribly injured, having a banding, cast, eyepatch, or in wheeled wooden cart to substitute for a wheel chair. Of course, there were many others who were perfectly in tact. What was even stranger was that they all appeared to be going in the same direction.

"Wow. I wonder where everypony's headed." Applejack wondered aloud. Her ears twitched and perked at the sound of what was distant fairground music. Seeing all the other ponies following the sound, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith began heading towards the music as well.

"Now where in Ponyville do you two think you're goin'?" Applejack asked rather sternly. Something about this whole thing just didn't feel right to her.

"Aw, quit bein' such a worry-worm and follow your ears!" Granny said while pointing at her lifted up pony ear, which was often drooping down at the side of her head, before continuing on.

"Come on, Applejack, aren't you curious?" Apple Bloom said before she walked on alongside her grandmother.

Applejack, Big Mac and Korra all shared the same concerned expressions, but all silently agreed that they were indeed curious as to what all the commotion was about. The couldn't say they were too excited, but Korra did want to see what it was. The three eventually complied to their curiosity and followed the music.

They followed the heard of ponies and the music grew louder and louder, indicating they were getting closer. Upon arriving to their destination, they group saw that it was a carnival tent with white and red stripes and three pols with yellow flash waving in the wind. The opening of the tent was decorated with a blue curtain, from which Applejack, Big Mac and Korra peeked into before walking right in. Granny Smith and Apple Bloom were already inside and taking their place close to a wooden stage in the very center of the tent and the music stopped.

Something about this place didn't feel right to Applejack. Just something about these splashes of color seemed vaguely familiar to the pony, but she just couldn't pinpoint exactly where she had seen all this before. Korra noticed the lanterns that lit up the tent, which used fireflies instead of lightbulbs, which then appeared to be dimming. Korra arched an eyebrow upon seeing a strange-looking contraption on the stage, which appeared to be some king of wagon with an electric engine of some kind on the side and a wooden picture frame. A crack handle on the side of the machine gained a strange green aura, which commanded the contraption to turn and the machine began to release steam like a train. An image of two unicorn ponies appeared on the picture frame, sounding almost like a picture being taken, but the image was slid down instead. Two spotlights shown onto the stage in opposite sides of the machine, and Korra could see the silhouette of the two very same unicorns from the image. The ponies appeared to be wearing hats and bow ties.

"Thank you, one and all, for your attendance, and we guarantee that your time here will not be spent in vain!" One of the ponies said.

"In fact, we think it will prove to be the most valuable time you've ever spent!" the second voice said right before the curtain lifted up, revealing the two ponies.

They were tall and slender male unicorns, both with identical light grayish olive, bright red manes and tails with white streaks and wearing matching white shirts with blue and white stripped vests and black bow ties and yellow hats. The only distinct feature they had was that one's cutie mark was merely an apple slice while the other's was a whole apple with a slice cut off and one of them had a mustache. Just by the looks of it, Korra could tell these were the typical sleazy business types. She had heard of them before, especially from Mako. They were mostly harmless, but a real hassle since all they cared about was making money.

Applejack caught her attention when she gasped, "The Flim Flam Brothers!"

"The Flimmy--who what now?"

"They're a couple of no good varmints who tried to put our family out of business but usin' their big and shinny apple juicing machine." Applejack said, her eyes narrowing in disapproval before scoffing in disgust. "This should be interestin'."

"Eeyup." Big Mac replied, sharing his sister's dismay upon seeing these two again.

Korra didn't say another word. She could already sense the bitterness coming from the pony. These two, as goofy as they might seem, were definitely bad news if they tried to steal Applejack's family business.

"Welcome, one and all, to the demonstration of a lifetime!" one of the brothers Flim, said to the audience, speaking in such a past paste way that Korra realized it was a miracle she could keep up with what he and his brother were saying.

"A demonstration of a better life!" Flam said.

"A demonstration of a better time! And if we haven't captured your interest just yet, by the time we've finished, an unfortunate phenomenon practically guarantees that we will!"

"A phenomenon? What's that?"

"It's a circumstance perceptible by the senses, but in this case, it's the simple fact that:"

There's ailments all around us in everything we touch and see

Flam:

A sickness that lies waiting there in every breath you breathe

Flim:

Disease will up and grab you as it crawls from land and sea

Flam:

It's amazing how infected that the natural world and all its things can be!

As they sang, the two used images from the slide machine to demonstrate their point, all the while everypony was curious as to what point these two brothers were trying to get across. They already knew they were all sick, so what could they do?

Flim:

"Now I understand that some of you don't think you're sick."

Flam:

"But twisted hooves and aching joints don't heal all that quick.

Flim:

"Consider just how dangerous this world is! You might…"

Flam:

Slip and fall, break or sprain something here tonight

As Flim sang this verse, he caused a group of sick ponies to stumble and fall, only for Flim to catch a falling elderly pony before the two got back on stage.

Flim and Flam:

But luckily for you, we've got the thing you need

And it's easier when all you need's the cure

The Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic

Is just what the doctor ordered, I'm sure

Upon saying the name of their "miracle tonic", an image of the bottle, which contained green goop inside and an image of the brother's silhouette of their heads appeared on the machine. Korra immediately arched an eyebrow at this. She had been learning about magic for the past four months now, and she never once heard about this miracle tonic thing. If anything, such a tic shouldn't even exist. Healing spells and medicine at best, but nothing like this. Was it a new discovery that these two had uncovered? Korra wasn't sure if to believe so.

"Now I know our claims seem fantastical." Flim said.

"Impractical." Flam said.

"Improbable."

"Impossible."

"We get it!" Korra called out from the audience. Just listening to these two was giving her a migraine. It was just then when the two brothers took full notice of the creature standing before them. She was standing in the far back underneath the darkness so they simply mistook her for a pool. This intrigued them.

"Well, who--or what--might you be, Miss?" Flim asked, looking as charming as he could.

"Korra." the Avatar simply replied, "And you seriously expect everypony here to buy into your "Miracle Tonic"? How do we know it isn't a lie?"

It was then, the audience, and the two brothers, gave a haughty "Oooooooooohhhhhh!" This girl, or they assumed she was given her voice, was smarter than she appeared.

"Well, if you don't believe it, Miss Korra, then allow us to give you a demonstration!" Flim said with great confidence, "We welcome every suffering pony to make their way up to the stage."

"Now don't crowd."

"And we'll prove our tonic's effectiveness before your very eyes."

Flam's eyes scanned the crowed until his green eyes landed on one particular pony with light turquoise gray coat and combat bluish gray mane, walking on crutches and wearing comically large glasses and wearing a hat and blue overalls. "You there! Come up here, good sir."

The spotlight shown on the pony, who struggled to make it onto the stage. "I'll wager you're tired of those crutches, my friend." Flim said to the injured pony as his brother's horn glowed a bright green, matching their identical eye colors, and unscrewed the tap of the bottle of their miracle tonic.

"Try taking a sip of this!"

Levitating the bottle near the hesitant pony's mouth, they poured the tonic down his throat who gulped it down. The pony stuck out his tongue after swallowing, like a stubborn child taking his medicine, while the others ponies watched in anticipation. Korra awaited to see the so called results while crossing her arms.

The tent was silent as the injured pony's body began to shake. He removed one of his crutches, placing his hoof onto the stage, perfectly straight and stable.

"Hu?!" Korra asked upon seeing what was happening and the pony placed his other hoof onto the stage, also perfectly fine. This couldn't be real, she thought. This couldn't actually be some sort of magical healing tonic, right? It just wasn't possible.

The audience gasped upon seeing the once sickly pony standing on all four hooves. A bright smile appeared on his face and his eyes beamed with happiness. Granny Smith was rather intrigued by this, and even the rest of the Apple Family was baffled as well. The pony really was cured. Granny rubbed her chin in thought, wondering if this really was legit or not. Despite the reputation the Flim Flam brothers had on their family, they were known for making some impressive gadgets. Their Supper Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 certainly was a remarkable machine and made fantastic apple cider if used properly. Granted, they had used said machine to run the family out of business, but this tonic had nothing to do with their farm. If anything, they weren't trying to sell anything that would spell bad news for their farm. As much as evert old bone in Granny's body was telling her not to trust them, the idea of a miracle tonic was just far too intriguing, and even tempting, not to think about.

The once injured pony took his crutches and began dancing with the singing Flim Flam brothers, happy to be back on his legs like before.

Flim and Flam:

That's why you're so lucky we've got the thing for you

Just come on up, we've always got some more

Of the Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic

Cured Pony:

I won't need these crutches to dance out the door

"Now how do ya like that?" Granny Smith said impressed.

"I don't." said Applejack. "There's somethin' funny about this whole thing."

Korra had to agree. Something just didn't feel right about all of this. Even if magic was a possibility, these ponies just rubbed Korra the wrong way.

The music became softer as Flim sang softer, with an entire assortment of Miracle Tonic bottles behind him.

Flim:

Now some of you may suffer from feelings of despair

You're old, you're tired, your legs won't work, there's graying in your hair

Flam:

Just listen and I'll tell you that you don't need to fear

Your ears will work, your muscles tone, your eyes will see so clear!

Crowd:

Luckily for us, you've got the thing we need

The answer to our problems in a jar

The Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic

Is the greatest ever miracle by far!

Flim:

"It cures the reins, the spurs, and the Clydesdale fur blight."

Flam:

"Hooferia and horsentery cured in just a night."

Flim:

"You've got swollen hooves and hindquarters or terrible bridle-bit cleft."

Flam:

"Saunter sitz and gallop plop will give your tail some heft."

Flim:

"Mane loss, hay fever, or terrible tonsillitis."

Flam:

"You heard it here, folks -- this is the only place in all of Equestria you'll find it!"

Flim:

It can make you shorter, taller, or even grow old

Flam:

But who'd want that?

Flim:

When with one drink

Flim and Flam:

You can be young again--

"SOLD!" Granny Smith called out, raising her hoof up right. The old pony was acting more on impulse than anything.

"Granny!" Applejack called out, making the elderly pony come back to her senses.

"Oh, sorry Applejack. I couldn't help myself."

"You're not seriously buying into this, are you?" Korra asked.

"Well, no offense dearie, but you weren't there when the Flim Flam brothers first came to Ponyville. They may have tried to run us out of business, but their Supper Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 was no joke! Sure, it may have been used to try and run us out of business, but there's no denyin' these two got some serious skills to build somethin' like that!"

"Which begs the question; how do you know they won't do the same again?"

It was then that the Flim Flam brothers both approached the Avatar and the Apple Family, both removing their hats and bowing in respect. "That's why we came here in the first place." said Flim.

"When we discovered the ingredients to this tonic we knew we had to share it with the world!" said Flam.

"And, maybe burry the hatchet once and for all."

"We've come to realize our mistakes from before and hoped we could make amends."

"Uh--hu" Applejack said, arching her eyebrow. "And all this fancy hu-ha?"

"Old habits die hard, I suppose."

"In fact, to show our sincerity, Granny Smith, we give you one of our Miracle Tonics, free of charge!" Flim levitated the said jar and placed it onto the elderly pony's hooves, much to her happiness. After witnessing that pony get healed in a matter of seconds, who's to say the same won't work for her.

"You're seriously giving it for free?" Applejack asked, rather suspiciously.

"Of course." Flim said as he placed his hat back on his head, "In fact, everypony here gets thirty percent off!"

"And you can buy two Miracle Tonics for the price of just one!"

The entire audience cheered and made a mad dash for the tonics on the stage, hanging out their pony as if it were on fire. But among all the hype, Applejack, Korra and Big Mac were anything but hyped.

"Are you two as worried as I am?" Applejack asked the two.

"Eeyup." both Big Mac and Korra replied in unison.

(~)

The next day, the Apple siblings sat together, fishing by the lake.Big Mac held the rod, which had an apple tied to the end of it. Korra was practicing with Tenzin, making up for the lost time she wasted the day before, and Apple Bloom really missed her as she threw a stone into the lake.

"Aww, it's too bad Korra couldn't visit today." said the sad pony.

"Yeah, well Tenzin caught her sneakin' off yesterday so now she's makin' up for lost time." Applejack replied. "But, she said she'll be back tomorrow. I just hope that mystery tonic thing don't distract her too much."

"Boy, I still can't believe all the things that Flim Flam Tonic can do!" Apple Bloom said. The topic itself was still worrying Applejack.

"When somepony says somethin's too good to be true, it usually is."

"But, they gave it to her for free. You all saw what happened. Right?"

"I'm still not sure. Heck, I'm not even sure there's a tonic in Equestria that can make an old pony young again."

"Howdy!" A familiar voice called out, grabbing their attention and the three looked down on the lake, their eyes widening in shock at what they were seeing…

Granny Smith actually swimming! Not just swimming, she was doing a long distance backstroke in her swimwear, look completely content and not wincing in pain like she normally did.

"Granny?!"

"Hang on now! We'll get ya!" Applejack called out and she and Big Mac ran ahead to catch up to the elderly pony. Big Mac quickly removed his yoke and tossed it into the water for his grandmother to grab, but the elderly pony just calmly swam past it. Applejack ran past her and readied to kick a large tree into the lake for her grandmother to grab. But the elderly pony only swam beside it, completely missing it with no problem whatsoever. The group then slid down the hill and met up with Granny, who shook the water off of her body like a dog once she got out of the water.

"Granny, I thought you were too afraid of the water to swim!" Apple Bloom asked as she approached them, "And, and what about your hip?!"

"Well, I reckon it might have been a problem before I had myself a dose of that there Flim Flam Tonic!" Granny said, pulling the tonic from her back pocket to show to the others.

"I'm not so sure that tonic really does anything'." Applejack said.

"Doesn't do anythin'?! What d'you call this?" Granny gulped down the last remains of the tonic and then began break dancing in front of her grandchildren like she were a teenager all over again. They had never seen her this happy before.

"I'm glad you're feeling good, but how do you know it's from the tonic?" Applejack asked, still feeling suspicious.

"I looked out at the water this mornin' and I felt the same terrifyin' aches and pains I always do. But one sip of that magic elixir and it all went away! Told ya them Flim Flams made quality merchandise. Why, I might even get a head start on my chores! What do you say, Big Mac-a-doo? Up for a little afternoon applebuckin'?" Granny Smith ask her eldest grandson, while kicking her hind legs excitedly.

"Uh, no." Big Mac replied. Being able to swim was one thing, but an elderly pony applebucking, he had to draw the line.

"Oh, quit your bellyaching'!" Granny Smith took her grandson by the leg and led him back to the farm, not realizing she had dropped the now empty bottle of the tonic. Applejack picked it up with her hoof, inspecting the transparent bottle, read a few words on the label and looked inside.

"Gee, it looks like that tonic works after all! I wonder what's in it." Apple Bloom said.

Applejack's eyes narrowed in determination. "I think maybe it's time we found out."

(~)

Latter that night, Apple Bloom and Applejack headed back to the Flim Flam Brother's tent, where they were once again playing that familiar music to promote their tonic. "So you're just gonna walk up and ask them how it works?" Apple Bloom asked her big sister.

"I guess." said Applejack, "Though if it's a genuine cure, I don't suppose they'll be too keen on sharin' the recipe."

"You don't believe they really changed? I mean, didn't they give Granny the tonic for free?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure what to believe at this point." Her thoughts were interrupted once they reached the tent and a pony came singing and dancing out the entrance. He whipped away the sweat from his brow and removed his hat, smiling in satisfaction.

Apple Bloom pointed her hoof at him. "Wait a second! That's that same pony from before!" she said.

The pony himself jerked his head upwards. It really was the same pony who was "healed" by the tonic. There was no denying it. Upon seeing the two ponies catch wind of his deception, the pony immediately ran off.

Without thinking twice, the girls ran after him towards the back of the tent, knocking over a couple of barrels to block their path, to which Applejack only kicked aside allowing them to run after him. They finally had him cornered in front of another smaller tent, where a set of tables and drawings stood. The pony shivered in fear upon seeing the two suspicious ponies.

"Now hold it right there, Mister…?" Applejack trailed off once they had this pony cornered.

"Shill." the male pony replied, shaking in terror, "Silver Shill. Ooh, what do you two want?"

"We want some answers." Applejack said sternly, stomping her hoof onto the ground, which caused the rocks beneath Silver Shill to grasp his hooves into earth made cuffs, preventing him from running away in case he tried any funny business. She normally didn't like intimidating ponies like this, but this one was part of some kind of game that she really didn't want anypony else to play. "Our Granny took some of your so called "magical" tonic and we want to know how it works."

"Granny couldn't swim before, and now she can." Apple Bloom said while arching a suspicious eyebrow at the pony, "Just like you couldn't walk and now you can. But what are you doin' back here? I mean, if the tonic cured you and all…"

Silver Shill gulped in terror, unwilling to even squeak out a reply. Applejack looked around the area, seeing an assortment of wigs, costumes, makeup and props on the various tables around the backstage area. Even the same costume from the injured pony from earlier today. The reality finally clicked.

"…Because he's part of the act!" Applejack concluded. She knew there was something off about all of this, and she was right! "It's time for you to tell the truth! You never needed crutches at all, did you?"

"I, uh…"

"Unless you want to be out of an actin' job, start talkin'!" The country pony exclaimed with great force, connecting with her inner Korra.

"Alright! Alright, I'll tell you!"

(~)

The Flim Flam brothers's ears perked upwards when they heard the sound of somepony approaching their tent. They immediately smiled and tipped their hats upon seeing Applejack walk right inside.

"Well, if it isn't our most favorite Apple!" Flim greeted.

"What brings you back to our humble abode?" Flam greeted next, gently kicking the giant bag of bits further back, but it was already in plain sight. The brothers lowered their ears when Silver Shill made a mad dash to hide behind his two bosses.

"You two charlatans sold my Granny a face tonic, and now she's off actin' like a filly again." said Applejack as she marched angrily towards the two. But, much to her surprise, the two didn't seem to be the least bit worried or concerned.

"What's so bad about that?" Flim asked rather calmly.

"If she keeps gallavantin' around like a yearlin', she's apt to drop from exhaustion or worse! What's more, I know for a fact that your friend here is dressin' up as a different pony every night so he can pretend to be cured!" Applejack gestured to a cowardly Silver Shill.

"Well, well, well, that's quite an accusation." said Flam.

"But let's say that it's true…" Flim continued.

"Hypothetically." Flaim said.

"Theoretically…" Flim replied as he and his brother placed a juicer press onto the table.

"As I understand, your Granny was a famous aquapony." said Flam.

"The star of the show, once upon a time." Flim concluded. Finishing each other's sentences was a habit they both shared.

"But hasn't set so much as a hoof in the water since." Flam said.

"Until today, that's right." Applejack replied, still uncertain as to where these two were going with this.

"Well, then even if our tonic were nothing more than a mixture of apple juice and beet leaves…"

"Hypothetically…" Flam said as he tossed his brother and apple with a couple of beet leaves

"Theoretically…" Flim said as he tossed the ingredients into the juicer.

"The fact is that Granny is happier now than before she tried it." Flam said as he juiced the apple and beet leaves, turning them into the liquid and poured it into the transparent bottle.

"Yeah, for now!" Applejack said, her brows narrowing at the two, "But like I said, she could get hurt doing all those stunts!"

"Well, has she gotten hurt?" Flim asked, arching an eyebrow and grinning cheekily.

"Well, no, not yet, but…"

"Tell me, have you ever seen her this energetic about anything before?"

"What's your point?" Applejack asked, already getting sick of their stubbornness.

"Even if the tonic was a fake, it still works. You can't deny the results."

But Applejack wasn't buying it. "You can try and twist things all you want, it aint gonna work!"

The two brothers only shrugged. "Suit yourself." Flim said as he bottled the tap and handed it to Applejack, placing it on her hoof. "But, ask yourself this: Do you really want to be the pony who takes all that happiness away from your dear old Granny?"

"Really think about that, Applejack." Flam said.

But the country pony only glared before walking out of the tent, where Apple Bloom was waiting for her.

(~)

The very next morning, Applejack awoke up just in time to tell Granny Smith the truth. She would have told her last night, but since Granny was already asleep by that time, she decided to wait until the next morning. She had explained the whole thing to Apple Bloom, but the poor filly just didn't have the heart to tell Granny about the whole thing. It would crush her to see her so unhappy, so Applejack took on the responsibility of telling her.

She headed towards her grandmother's bedroom and knocked. "Granny. We need to talk." she said, but no reply came. She knocked once more and still no reply came. "Granny?" ever so gently, Applejack turned the knob with her mouth and entered the room, only to realize it was empty. "Where could she have gone?" she asked.

Applejack galloped downstairs to find her grandmother and siblings, but saw no sign of them. She looked in the kitchen, the living room, the barn, and still nopony was there. Only the sound of falling apples did she gallop outside towards the apple orchard and screeched to a halt upon witnessing her grandmother buck an apple tree twice her size, and all the apples fell down from the tree, leaving it completely free of apples.

"Granny?!"

"Oh, Applejack! Good mornin'!"

"Good mornin', but what are you doin'?"

"What's it look like? I'm apple buckin' some apples is what I'm doin'!" the elderly pony gave a haughty laugh and kicked another tree nearby. Applejack had never see her grandmother be so strong before. She had never bucked a tree in years, and yet here she was doing it like a pro. "I'm tellin' ya, that there tonic sure worked wonders! I don't know what I would do if I hadn't found it. Why, I've never felt this good in years!"

"In…years?" Applejack mimicked, speaking in a slight whisper.

"I never realized how much I missed being young again, and now that I have I'm happier than dog waggin' its tail! It's like a dream come true, I can finally catch up with my grandfillies, which is really what I always wanted."

"It…is?"

"You with your fancy shamsy bendin' powers, Big Mac with his strength and Apple Bloom with her fiery little spirit, and how ya'll are always wantin' me to be a part of your fun activities, I was ashamed I couldn't keep up. Now I can!" the elderly pony hugged her granddaughter with such intensity, even a few tears rolled down from her eyes, to which Applejack could feel land on her shoulder, staining her orange fur. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I'm…getting a pretty good idea." Applejack said as she returned the gesture. Flim and Flam were right, even if the tonic was a fake, Granny believed it was real, and her belief made it work. Besides, she didn't seem to be getting hurt. If anything, she really had become stronger than before. Maybe…maybe keeping up the facade wouldn't be so bad this time. She didn't like hiding the truth, but Granny really was so happy, crying tears of joy over the fact she could be at the same paste as her grandchildren. She now realized telling her the truth now would just be too painful. Maybe, she could wait until this whole thing blew over and Granny would realize it on her own terms. It don't hurt that she would feel young again, even if for a while. And she most certainly proved to be stronger than she led herself on to believe.

She really didn't want to be the pony who took all that happiness away

(~)

Afterwords, Applejack went back insides to see Apple Bloom finally awake. "Hey." she greeted her sister sadly. "Did you tell Granny about the tonic?"

"I…well…honestly, Apple Bloom... as long as it works, I... don't suppose it really matters. Granny sure seems happy, and she's most definitely got her strength back so, maybe it would be best if we…kept it a secret, at least until the time is right that is."

"Well, if it doesn't matter to you, then it doesn't matter to me either, sis."

"Really?"

"Od course. You always know just what to do."

As sweet as that was, Applejack wasn't so sure about it.

(~)

The day went on like any other, with Applejack swinging on a swing as she watched her grandmother and little sister playing in the lake again. She had never seen Granny Smith so happy and full of life before. She was behaving like a little filly again with no signs of stopping anytime soon. A small part of her hopped this would last, seeing as she loved seeing Granny so happy. But, deep down, another part of her felt like she was violating her very nature. Being honest was what she was best at. She always told the truth and struggled to lie. Technically, she didn't bluntly lie, she just…didn't tell the whole truth. It was a half-truth if anything. She did technically admit the tonic had some effect, which really came more from Granny's behalf, but other than that…

"Hey, Granny! Think you can buck me over the water?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I don't see why not! Come on, Big Mac, toss her this way!"

Suddenly, Applejack's instincts immediately kicked in. The memory of her grandmother apple bucking the tree this morning faded from her memory as she headed straight for the lake.

"Granny, wait!" Applejack cried out, only to see that Granny was perfectly fine, moving her back legs as if she were ridding a bike, rolling a giggling Apple Bloom in a circle. Even Big Mac was having a great time.

"Uh, what were you sayin', dear?" Granny asked, and Applejack sat back on the swing. Even though her grandmother was happy and strong and sturdy, a part of her still couldn't help but be concerned. She did strongly believe her grandmother was capable, but at the same time she knew that had some consequences. She wanted to tell her the truth, but the memory of her happy tears remained fresh in her mind.

"Granny, don't you think you should take it kinda easy?" she said.

"I've been takin' it easy for too long! And now, thanks to that Flim Flam Tonic, I don't have to!"

Apple Bloom splashed into the water before rising back upwards, flipping her hair back and splashing the water with her front hooves. "Granny, you think I could be an aquapony like you?"

"Of course you can, sapling. There's nothin' to it but to do it!"

"Well, the Ponyville swim meet is comin' up." Apple Bloom said as she and her Granny climbed out of the water, there bodies dripping wet. "We could enter together! A legendary water pony like you? We'd be a cinch to win!"

"Mm, ee, uh, I don't know... Bein' back in the water is one thing, but a competition is a pony of a different color."

Apple Bloom's ears lowered down in sadness. "Oh. Okay."

Upon seeing the disappointed expressions on there faces, Applejack was remind of why Granny took the tonic in the first place. She did it to spend more time with her grandchildren and not feel so old and slow around them. She didn't want Granny to feel she couldn't. Besides, she was able to swim in the water and apple buck perfectly fine without a scratch. Maybe one little competition in a pool won't be so bad. So long as she didn't do a high dive, which is far more dangerous than an elderly pony apple bucking, everything would be fine. No harm done, right?

"I don't know, Granny. A swim meet sounds pretty safe." Applejack said. "And after all, if that tonic lets you swim in a river and a swimmin' hole, a pool should be no problem at all."

"Well, I'll be a tart turnover, you are right! All we need now is more tonic!" Granny smiled with glee as she drank the last bottle she had left.

Just one little swimming competition in a pool doing swimming acrobatics. No harm, no fowl. Right?

(~)

"Welcome, friends, and step right up! The next show starts in five minutes!"

The Flim Flam brothers were selling their tonic like hotcakes, but even so, there were still several ponies who were skeptical about the product itself. None the less, the two brothers did what they were best at: Making money!

"But why not buy your tonic now and avoid the rush?" Flim said as he lifted up one bottle of their false tonic. Among the crowd, Silver Shill, wearing a different disguise, handed them a few bits to help boots the sales. But, luckily for them, they didn't need to do much today.

"We'll take the whole case!" Granny Smith said, unlading the enormous bag of bits from her back and onto the floor. The two brothers exchanged smiles. Apparently, they did manage to get through to Applejack. They knew her good heart would be a perfect ploy for their scam.

"Are you saying this stuff actually works?" One injured pony with a bandage around her head and her back legs on a wheeled wagon asked.

"Ya better believe it!" Granny said happily, "Right, Applejack?"

The pony's eyes widened. She always hatted being put on the spot like this. "Well, it…does seem to work for you, Granny." she said, half-confessing the real truth. Applejack didn't realize it at first, but she had just made a very big mistake. But her slip up would be the brothers's gain.

"You heard it here first, folks!" Flim declared, "Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic is Granny Smith-tested and Applejack-approved!"

Once again, the country pony felt the heat on her once again. Now the Flim Flam brothers were putting her on the spot too. "What?! No, what I meant was--"

"If Applejack says it works, that's good enough for me!" the injured pony interrupted. Before long, each pony pulled out their bits and handed them to the Flim Flam brothers, who both smiled in victory, silently thanking Applejack with a double wink.

This was not what Applejack was expecting. All she wanted was for Granny and Apple Bloom to have fun, how did it spiral out of control like this? She didn't even lie, she just kept her mouth shut when she had to. She only did it for Granny to be happy, why was it suddenly turning into this big a problem. She never had experienced anything like this before.

Probably because she had never hid the truth for this long before. At least, to her it felt long.

(~)

Ponies chattered excitedly as they watched the ponies dive into the pool. The judged giving their scores as each pony took their turn diving into the pool, flipping and twirling in their own elegant routines. On the side of the pool, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith began doing churches, both kept their game faces on.

"Hoo-ha, hee-hee, ha-hoo-ha!" they both chanted as they squatted. Applejack walked towards them, smiling hopefully that they would be alright.

"Just remember, you two. The most important thing is to be safe and have fun, right?"

"Fiddlesticks!" Granny Smith said, her eyes sparkling with a youthful determination, "With the routine we've been workin' on, I'll be a plum puddin' if we don't win this thing!"

Applejack so hopped Granny wouldn't go too overboard with this idea. It had been a few days now and she was still as fit as a fiddle. Maybe she was being too overprotective. "Uh… good luck, then!

"Luck? Pfft, who needs luck? We got tonic on our side!"

Tonic this, tonic that, is Applejack heard that word one more time she was gonna...

"Flim Flam's Magical Curative Tonic!" said the voice that was already feeling like a claw through her brain. "Get your Applejack-approved tonic! Granny Smith drinks it – why shouldn't you?"

The Flim Flam brothers had their own stand near the swimming competition, selling it to unsuspecting ponies, even to those who weren't injured. Maybe, if luck would have it, one of these ponies would discover the truth and tell on these two liars. But, seeing the joy and ambition in Granny's eyes, Applejack hoped it just wouldn't be today at least.

"Now, if'n you'll excuse us, we got some swimmin' to do!" Granny and Apple Bloom took their positions as the music played. Applejack took her spot among the crowd and watched the two dive into the pool, performing some elegant synchronized swimming, which looked harmless enough. Granny looked so happy and in perfect sync with the water, almost as if she were made for it. She and Apple Bloom did the most elegant and eye-catching routine she had ever seen. Even the audience agreed.

"Wow, they're really good!" said a familiar voice, which caught Applejack's attention. She looked up and galloped happily upon seeing her best human friend present for the competition.

"Korra! How'd you know we'd be here."

"I ran into Big Mac and he told me. So, did I miss much?"

"No, you're just in time!"

The two happily watched the two swimming ponies dance and swim in perfect sync across the water like two elegant ballerinas. For the final performance, Granny tossed Apple Bloom into the air, she twirled and spun, emitting drops of water from her body before being caught by her grandmother, two rose from the water, elegantly spitting water from her mouth like a fountain. The audience cheered and the judges gave a perfect score.

"Well, I'll be…" Applejack said in amazement. Granny truly was stronger and much nimbler than she looked.

"I know. I knew she didn't need that fake tonic after all."

At that moment, Applejack's eyes widened in shock, "Wait! You know?!"

"Of course I did. I didn't think so at first, but before I left last time I got myself one of those tonics to see for myself what all the hullabaloo was about. But then Ikki accidentally drank it and turns out it was just apple juice with beet leafs."

"But--but--but--but--but why didn't you say somethin'?!"

"Believe me, I wanted to, but Tenzin really boosted up security around the island these past few days. My legs are still soar from sitting in a lotus position for seven hours straight!" the Avatar groaned a she rubbed her legs, which were still pretty soar. It was a miracle she could still stand up. "Besides, I knew you'd figure it out and tell the truth. It's gonna take a lot more than some flimsy fake position to trick you."

The pony blushed and chuckled nervously. "Eh, yeah…pretty silly."

The nervous chuckle was enough to make Korra grow concerned. "Applejack?"

The sound of flashing cameras caught the girls' attention once Apple Bloom and Granny Smith were given the first place trophy. A trip of pony news reporters took pictures and levitated a notebook and quill to ask some questions. "That was some of the most amazing aquabatics I've ever seen! How in Equestria did you do it? Hard work? Lots of practice?"

"Yeah, but mostly it's the tonic!" Granny said, right before the two Flim Flam brothers came up and scooted themselves into the picture beside Granny and Apple Bloom.

"That's Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic, to be precise." Flim said.

"Buy it now while supplies last." Flam said.

Korra was literally jaw dropped when she saw that ponies were still fawning and practically giving their money away to this tonic. The Avatar turned to the pony, whom she knew was the most honest friend she knew. "You didn't tell anypony?!"

"Please, just let me explain!"

"Go head." Korra said sternly while crossing her arms, her voice still sounding shocked. "This should be interesting."

"Look, the thing is, I wanted to tell Granny the truth, but then I saw how happy she was and that all she ever wanted was to be young again so she could be closer to me, Big Mac and Apple Bloom, then she cried into my shoulders and I didn't want to take away that happiness. I didn't mean to make that tonic so popular, I was just trying to make Granny happy!"

Korra's disappointed expression shifted to one of sympathy. "So, you thought that by keeping it a secret you would spare another person's feelings."

"Well…yeah. I know you must be very disappointed in me."

"Actually….you know what, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, I am disappointed in you!" the Avatar's voice rose up, making the country pony reel back in fear, her ears lowered and one hoof risen upwards. "I would have expected this from anypony else, but not you! And not just because you're the Element of Honesty, it's because you would never do anything to hurt anybody."

"But if I did tell the truth Granny would have been hurt."

"And if she found out you've been keeping the truth from her she'd be just as hurt. I went through the same thing with Rainbow Dash back at Rainbow Falls and Mako when he was still with Asami. A lie is like a clogged up sink. The longer you take to fix it, the more difficult it's going to be to clean up afterwords. No matter how you try and justify it, a lie is still a lie."

Applejack knew Korra was right. She had seen first hand how lies can hurt people. That's actually, ironically, one of the things Mako taught her, even if he didn't realize it. And now, she was teaching Applejack. Even if Korra still had much to learn, she knew she would become a greta teacher one day in the future. The pony placed her hat over her heart in regret. "I'm sorry. You must think I'm a real failure." she felt Korra's gentle hand lift her chin up, and the Avatar smiled.

"I can never stay angry at you, A.J. And it's not too late to clean up the mess."

The sound of clinging bits made Applejack turn her head and saw none other than Silver Shill handing out bottles of tonic while wearing yet another disguise. A referee shirt and a baseball cap with the same big comical glasses. After making yet another sale, Silver turned around and yelped in fear upon seeing Applejack standing before him.

"What are you doin' here?"

"Oh, things are going so well, Flim and Flam gave me a promotion! Just made my first bit as a salespony." the pony proudly demonstrated her the shinny bit he had just made. "No more costumes for this pony." Applejack only arched an eyebrow, her eyes darting at his outfit. "This is more of a uniform." he corrected.

"If you say so."

"I used to wonder if I was doing the right thing. You know, 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."

"Thanks to... me?" Applejack's felt a terrible ache in her heart upon hearing this. All she wanted was to make Granny happy, comfortable, excited, but now all she did was create a giant clog in the sink, and it was getting evener bigger by the minute. Things got worse when she heard Apple Bloom's voice from behind and saw her little sister standing on a stage, actually promoting eth tonic as cameras flashed.

"With Flim Flam's magical Curative Tonic, my Granny can do anything! Just ask Applejack!" the filly pointed to her sister, who's eyes widened in shock as the cameras flashed before her. She turned to Korra, who was clenching her fists, not in anger, but in her attempt to hold back her desire to speak up. But, they both knew it wasn't Korra's mess to clean up.

It was Applejack's.

"No! This has gotta stop! If ponies keep believin' that tonic can do things it can't, who knows what'll happen?" Applejack felt silver Shill place his hoof on Applejack's shoulder, and pinnated upwards towards the diving tower.

"Maybe something like that?"

Both Applejack and Korra gasped upon seeing Granny Smith climbing up the diving tower, but she didn't stop at the medium dive…she was aiming for the hight dive. The highest dive of them all! For a waterbender, Korra could survive it no problem, but for a normal earth pony like Granny…they might as well be picking the tub stone right now.

"Granny!" Applejack called out from down bellow and galloped towards the tower, where Apple Bloom pushed a small little tin filled with water. It was barely enough to cushion Granny's fall. "What in blazes does she think she's doin'?!"

"Granny's gonna break the Equestria high divin' record!" Apple Bloom said excitedly, shocking Korra. Both she and Applejack looked down at the small tin and way up at the tower, the two already feeling dizzy at how high the elderly pony could be right now.

"This is all my fault!" Applejack exclaimed as she ran up to climb the tower herself. Korra took her position, ready to save the poor pony when she needed to. She would use her waterbending to keep her from falling if Applejack came too late.

"Granny Smith! You get down from there right now!!" Korra shouted in the loudest, most authoritative tome she could master. She never knew she would have to say this to an elderly pony before, but here she was.

"Don't you worry about a thing, dearie!" Granny called out from down bellow as she bent down her knees, making the diving board underneath her bend slightly before making her leap. Applejack made it just at the right moment when Granny jumped off. Gasping in hour, Applejack ran up to grab her, but she was too late. As Granny dove down towards the tiny tin, Korra acted quickly and bended the water around to create and ice slide which caused the elderly pony to slide safely down and into the shallow end of the pool, perfectly unharmed.

Korar took in an exaggerated sigh of relief, her head and arms dangling in while Applejack practically passed out. Thank heavens Korra was there to save her grandmother. She truly was a loyal friend.

Granny shook her body dry once she emerged from the pool. "Now what in tarnation did you do that for?!"

"Are you serious?! That was the most insane, idiotic, near death stunt I have ever seen anypony do in all my life! And I once jumped off of an airship!"

"She's right, Granny!" Applejack called from down bellow as she slid downwards on the side of the tower. "You can't do a dive like that!"

"Oh, quit your fussin'! I had enough tonic to do a dive ten times as high!"

"Twenty times, by my count." Flim said.

"Thirty, with a favorable breeze." Flam said.

"Don't you two ever shut up?" Korra said, already feeling like her ears would bleed. Applejack narrowed her eyes as she watched Granny gulp down yet another bottle of the tonic down, the rays of the sun hitting the glass, causing it to emit shimmering rainbow lights. It was then, something triggered within Applejack and Korra's words from before were heard in her head.

"It's not too late to clean up the mess."

As the pony's eyes shimmered with rainbow colors as bright as the sun, Applejack finally realized the truth. She had been trying to make Granny Smith feel good, but at the expense of not only her integrity, but for her grandmother's well being. Just because something makes somebody happy doesn't always mean it will be good for you. And that was the Truth Applejack needed to realize. She looked up at the the Avatar, who nodded her head at her friend. Normally, she would have wanted to tell the truth already, but this was Applejack's mess and she was the one who had to clean it up. The country pony took in a deep breath and faced the music.

"I hate to disappoint everypony, but there's no way Granny could have made that dive, because this tonic is a fake!"

The entire audience, minus Korra and the Flim Flam brothers, all gasped in shock upon the pony's confession. "But you gave it your stamp of approval!" one pony said, "Are you saying you lied?"

As much as it pained her, and humiliated her to admit it, she had to. Removing her hat and placing over her heart, she did just that.

"…I am."

Even more gasped emerged. Applejack was the most honest pony they knew, why would she lie like this?

"I didn't mean to! But Granny seemed so much happier, I couldn't bring myself to tell her when I found out the tonic wasn't real. Then I saw everypony else buying into the lie but I still stayed quiet because I wanted everypony to be happy. I know it was wrong. I just hope with time, I can win back everypony's trust."

"But if the tonic is a fake, then how come Granny can swim again, and what about all that aquabatics stuff we just did?" Apple Bloom asked.

"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." Applejack walked on over to her grandmother and hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry for not telling you the truth, Granny. I know I should have, even if it would disappoint you. But you don't need a tonic to feel strong. You're already the strongest pony I know."

Granny's eyes swelled up with tears. "Awww. Thank ye, Applejack."

Now, it was Korra's turn as she approached the Flim Flam brothers. "As for you two!" she said, making the two ponies quiver in fear, "Telling ponies your tonic can do things it can't is just wrong!"

"But Applejack just said it boosts confidence!" Flim said, trying to mask their slip up.

"And that's not all it does, folks–"

"Yes, it is!" Flam was interrupted when a certain pony, Silver Shill, spoke up. He removed his hat and glasses, revealing his bright blue eyes. She stood tall before the crowd, facing against his bosses. "In fact, it's not a tonic at all! I know, 'cause I helped make it!" The Flim Flam brothers began to sweat nervously as Silver Shill continued his confession. "Watching Korra save Granny and Applejack admit to lying, well, that made me realize I was making ponies believe in a thing that just wasn't so!"

"Believin' in somethin' can help you do amazin' things." Applejack said, "But if that belief is based on a lie, eventually it's gonna lead to real trouble."

The two brothers attempted to slip away from view, only to be stopped by a rock that rose from the ground and Korra had them cornered. "And as for you two. You're going to return all the money you took from these ponies, right this instant!"

"What makes you think you can--" Flim's question was interrupted when Korra's hands ignited with flames, the lights creating shadows on the Avatar's angry face, making her look all the more menacing to the ponies, who could feel the heat of the flames despite the distance.

"Um, if you insist!"

"We'll get right on it!" The two quickly readjusted their stand and changed the sign. "Refunds! Get your refunds!"

Korra smiled proudly as she watched the two give away the money they had taken…much to their dismay and the Avatar's amusement.

Silver Shill then approached the country pony, :Thank you, Applejack." he said, He reached into his pocket and pulled out the gold bit he had made in selling the fake tonic and placed in on her hoof. "I got this through dishonest means. 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 could see her reflection on the shinny gold surface. "I don't know…"

"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."

Applejack smiled in gratitude at the pony and turned back to her grandmother. "I'm sorry, Granny. I hope this doesn't mean you'll stop swimmin'."

"Why in tarnation would I do that? I just can't believe those two salesponies had me believin' I could near fly!"

"Well, I have a feeling they're learning their lesson." Korra said with a smile as she watched the brother practically crying as they gave the money away. "One bit at a time."

(~)

"Bein' honest sure gets hard when it seems like the truth might hurt somepony you care about. But I think believin' a lie can end up hurtin' even more. Maybe some ponies don't care about that – but I sure ain't one of them."

Once Applejack was done writing on the journal while laying on the grass underneath a tree, she turned to the Avatar, who was leaning against the tree trunk. "Thanks, Korra."

"For what?"

"For remindin' me of what I stand for."

"Hey, you've always been there to tell me the truth, I'm just returning the favor." the Avatar playfully tickled the pony, making her laugh before she leaped forward and jumped onto Korra's stomach, the two laughing joyfully. From a few feet away, they saw Granny about to dive into the pool from the diving board.

"Now you take it easy there, Granny!" Korra called out.

"Oh, I plan to! Hoo, ha, ha-whee!" the elderly pony leaped onto the pool from the short diving board and splashed with Apple Bloom. She now realized she didn't a tonic to catch up with her grandfillies. They were more than willing to wait up for her if they had to.

As Korra and Applejack walked down the small hill to be with the others, the bit that Silver Shill gave to Applejack rested on the corner side of the journal, which gave out a shimmering rainbow glow.

All six keys have been accounted for. All but one.

(~)

"I guess, it just goes to show; just because something makes you happy, doesn't always mean it will be good for you. Especially if it will cause you more harm than good, and if it's based on a lie that's mean to bring your downfall rather than raise you back up, which si what Korra did for Applejack and Applejack did for Granny Smith.

Well, that's all for now. Tune in next time for another…

Tales of Equestria!"