Creating A Hive

Pick the Best Path(ogical Liar)

Applejack watched Granny Smith and Apple Bloom's swim routine. She should be happy like anypony else would in her hooves. While a part of Applejack wanted to be proud and teary eyed at seeing this beautiful act that Granny and Apple Bloom planned, that feeling turned sour with her worry.

Granny only started swimming again because of that no good Flim and his brother, Flam's tonic. They advertised it as a cure all. Any ailment, it could fix. Broken bones, poor eyesight, even old age. Granny took a jar after seeing it cure a stallion's legs so he could walk again. Applejack thought it was too good to be true. She investigated it, as anypony would have when their granny was on the line! She discovered the cured stallion was an actor, hired by Flim-and-Flam to make their tonic look good. The tonic wasn't even that! It was just crushed apples and beet leaves- Applejack watched them make it herself!

Only...Flim and Flam got under her skin like worms. They reminded Applejack that Granny Smith hadn't been able to swim for decades. Their tonic let her think she could swim, and she was doing a good job for a mare her age. If Applejack told everypony their tonic was a scam, it would crush Granny Smith's hard.

She let it slide one time.

She should've known that's when it would all fall apart.

The next day, Granny went up to their tent in the middle of a big crowd to buy a full crate of tonic. Everypony in town asked if it was legit, if Granny Smith wanted some. Apple Bloom said that Applejack approved. Applejack lied, saying yes. Flim and Flam sold the tonic with a tagline: Granny Smith tested, Applejack approved.

That's two whole lies to her family, and a big whopping lie to the whole town. Just thinking about it made Applejack sick. Ponies started believing that crock of hooey. Ponies with real issues- real broken bones and wings, real sicknesses that belonged in hospitals with actual medicine!

All this lying, Applejack never felt so low. Even when Discord made her a liar, at least then she had no control over what came out of her mouth. That was magic making her act like she was. This time? Applejack had nopony to blame but herself.

She wanted to reach out to her friends- but that would mean admitting the truth. Applejack knew what they all would say too. They'd be appalled at Applejack for lying- especially this long and about something so serious. The only way out was to admit she lied.

But...Granny's heart would break.

Somepony tapped her shoulder. "Umm...Applejack?"

Applejack turned to them. Thorax stood behind her, nervously fidgeting on his hooves. He had his teeth biting on his lip, barely avoiding breaking the skin with his fang. Applejack wasn't surprised he was here. One look in the stands would show the Stardust family here to support Apple Bloom. His daughters played with Apple Bloom and her friends all the time. Even though Dynamite and VC already had cutie marks, they still played together with the Cutie Mark Crusaders to give the younger foals ideas for their cutiemarks. Besides, they still liked playing together.

"What is it?" Applejack asked him.

Thorax fidgetted. He raised his hoof to scratch his neck. "I need help. It's a-"

"Don't you usually ask Raspberry when you need help?" Applejack asked. "Where is she, anyhow?" She looked up in the stands.

The family was there alright. Cookie chewed on a stuffed toy. Justice and VC read books. Dynamite hooted and hollered like the best of them. The only pony missing was Raspberry herself.

"Is she out training Lilac again?" Applejack asked. Sometimes, Raspberry would be gone for Manehattan. Applejack only knew that because Apple Bloom kept track of those times to give Raspberry letters for Lilac and Babs Seed.