Author's Note

I’ll put the Testing Testing 1,2,3, Trade Ya and Equestria Games episode when I do the second series to this cause I have a special plan for them which involves big surprises for Ren and the others.

Chapter 29: Faith in Honesty

Sarah’s POV

Ahhh... nothing more relaxing than walking through the die open field near a lake...

Hmmm... oh, Applejack, Applebloom and Big Mac. Wonder what they’re doing here? I went over and greeted them, “Hey you three, what’s up?” I asked.

“Oh hey, Sarah. Did you hear about Flim and Flams new tonic?” Applebloom asked me. “Granny Smith bought some yesterday. They said it can cure anything.”

“If by tonic you mean scam then no.” I said.

"Boy, I just can't believe all the things that Flim Flam Tonic can do!" She exclaimed.

"When somepony says somethin's too good to be true, it usually is." Applejack referred to my confrontation. "Maybe you should've took the bottle, Sarah. See if it worked."

“Nah. Besides the only thing that can cure anything is me. Remember my file? I was created to cure any diseases and I severely doubt a tonic can do what I can do.” I stated.

“Yeah, you’re right Sarah.” Applejack agreed.

"Are you two sayin'… that Granny wasted her money?" Applebloom responded with a slightly saddened tone.

"We just need to find some way to prove them wrong." I believed. "It can't be that hard…"

"Howdy!" We unexpectedly heard happily sung from the river below us.

"Granny?!" Applebloom shouted out in complete surprise as we saw Granny Smith casually and calmly backstroking along the river.

"Hang on now! We'll get ya!" Applejack assured worriedly as she ran ahead to help, even though Granny Smith didn't look like she needed help at all.

Big Macintosh tried throwing the thing he always wore around his neck as a lifesaver. However, Granny Smith clearly ignored it and swam around it. As she worked on another swimming technique, Applejack ran over to a huge tree and managed to buck it straight across the river. Granny Smith yet ignored this again. I caught up with the rest of them as they met up with Granny Smith when she got out of the water.

"Granny, I thought you were too afraid of the water to swim!" Applebloom ran over to her. "And, and what about your hip?!" Applebloom reminded worriedly.

"Well, I reckon it might have been a problem before I had myself a dose of that there Flim Flam Tonic!" She mentioned and pulled it out.

"I'm not so sure that tonic really does anythin'." Applejack stated.

"Doesn't do anythin'?! What d'you call this?" She took another drink of it and began dancing in such a way that a pony her age would find impossible to do while humming a song. It was…quite surprising.

"I'm glad you're feelin' good, but how do you know it's from the tonic?" Applejack shared an interesting point.

"I looked out at the water this mornin' and I felt the same terrifyin' aches and pains I always do." Granny Smith began explaining. "But one sip of that magic elixir and it all went away! 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'?" She even kicked her legs up in the air with ease.

"Uh, no." Big Macintosh looked away in a disturbed kind of way.

"Oh, quit your bellyachin'!" Granny Smith directed before she took him away from us.

"Gee, it looks like that tonic works after all!" Applebloom mentioned to Applejack and me. "I wonder what's in it."

"I think maybe it's time we found out." Applejack suggested and turned to me. "What do you say, Sarah? Up for a lil' investigatin'?"

"Yeah." I nodded acceptingly. "I'm all up for exposing whatever these guys are doing behind the stage."

https://m.

Applejack and I decided to take another visit later on in the night while Applebloom followed. As we heard another repeat of the song in the distance as we made our way through, it was presumed that they were playing to a later crowd.

"So you're just gonna walk up and ask them how it works?" Applebloom questioned.

"I guess." Applejack didn't seem too planned on how to confront Flim and Flam. "Though if it's a genuine cure, I don't suppose they'll be too keen on sharin' the recipe."

"I think if it was a genuine cure for anything, they'd be looking at broader ways to advertise their product." I mentioned. "In fact, I feel it'd become a thing known all over Equestria before they started selling he—"

"–out the door!" We heard a highly familiar line from earlier escape through the tent.

"Wait a second!" Applebloom shouted out, pointing towards the pony that was wiping the sweat off his face. "That's that same pony from before!"

Immediately arousing suspicion, Applejack narrowed her eyes greatly at this pony. He instantly reacted by galloping out of sight.

"Hey!" Applejack called out and ran after him, bringing Applebloom and me with her. We followed him around the carnival tent where Flim and Flam were. It seemed to be the "backstage" part of the area. It appeared we brought him across a dead end because he stopped and quickly looked around for an escape. Applejack resumed her speaking. "Now hold it right there, Mister...uh…?"

"Shill. Silver Shill." He answered weakly as he trembled and flinched cowardly. "Ooh, what do you three want?"

"Our Granny took some tonic and we want to know how it works." Applejack demanded, confronting him as he was cornered.

"Granny couldn't swim before, and now she can. Just like you couldn't walk and now you can." Applebloom included doubtfully. "But what are you doin' back here? I mean, if the tonic cured you and all..."

Studying the surroundings and the reason why he was seen walking out the tent in the same fashion as earlier while the conversation was spoken, it clicked to me on what was going on. It was plainly obvious why this pony repeated his take on the song. He never needed crutches… He wasn't even a part of the crowd! "He's part of the act!" I pointed out. "Flim and Flam wanted to convince the crowd their tonic worked, so they made it look as if they chose a random pony out in the crowd so he can be miraculously 'cured' by the tonic!"

Applejack found this reasonably true. She looked towards the shaking pony with glaring eyes and intimidatingly brought herself closer to him. "What's really going on around here? And don't bother lyin' to us neither! We want the complete truth!"

"I, uh..." He struggled before he looked around and unexpectedly hit a lever nearby. The lowering of the lever caused steam to spew out on us from some pipes close by.

"Hey!" Applejack exclaimed as we heard a gallop of hooves run off. As soon as we were able to see, he was nowhere to be found. "Applebloom, go around. We'll go this way!" Applejack directed, receiving a nod from her sister. We ran back the way we originally came from to be back at the corner near the entrance of the tent. There we saw the late crowd of ponies exiting the tent, but most importantly, the pony that had disappeared was seen running back inside.

As soon as we threw the flap of the tent to the side to enter, we were confronted by the two unreliable ponies.

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

"What brings you two back to our humble abode?" Flam asked, as if he didn't have the slightest clue for the reason.

Silver Shill had popped out from behind Flim, using the two brothers as protection from us. Applejack only returned an angry glare at him before focusing on the two real problems. "You two charlatans sold my Granny a bottle of tonic, and now she's off actin' like a filly again."

"What's so bad about that?" Flim questioned after exchanging a smug look with his brother.

"If she keeps gallavantin' around like a yearlin', she's apt to drop from exhaustion or worse! What's more, we 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 pointed out, having them quietly gesture Silver Shill out of the area.

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

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

"Hypothetically..." Flam pushed over the mountains of bits they had on a table.

"Theoretically..." Flim pulled out what appeared to be some kind of juicing machine.

"As I understand, your Granny was a famous aquapony." Flam mentioned, somehow already knowing this.

"The star of the show, once upon a time." Flim contributed, bringing Applejack and I to send a look to each other expressing curious concern.

"But hasn't set so much as a hoof in the water since." Flam emptied out a sack of apples on the table.

"Until today, that's right." Applejack uneasily admitted.

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

"Hypothetically..." Flam tried to cunningly disengage the thought of the actual list of ingredients being true.

"Theoretically..." Flim repeated, throwing an apple he had received from his brother into the juicer.

"The fact is that Granny is happier now than before she tried it." Flam stated as he poured in the produce from the juicer into an empty bottle.

"You know…" I thought about it for a moment. "I really hate to say this…but…in a way…they kind of are right about the product working…" Applejack turned her head to me with widened eyes, as if she could not believe that that statement actually came out of my mouth. "Even if the product itself doesn't do any of the work, as long as it gets the job done either way…then…" I paused and then shook my head. "But it can only go so far!" I turned to the brothers before they could get any idea of believing they were off the case. "You might get the ponies thinking that they are feeling better, but it still won't do anything physically! If they're old, the pain might stop from doing an activity, such as swimming, but that doesn't mean it keeps their bodies or bones from being fragile!"

"Yeah!" Applejack seemed to be relieved when seeing that I was still against them. "You could easily put ponies' lives in danger! All for some bits!"

"So, say everything you said is true…" Flim began.

"You'd rather not give those ponies a chance to be happy again and let them be miserable for the rest of their lives, just to make sure they're safe?" Flam appeared to twist words around in his favor.

"What are you gettin' at?" Applejack inquired heatedly.

"The question is..." Flim approached.

"Do you really want to be the pony who takes all that happiness away?" Flam questioned, placing a bottle of tonic on Applejack's hoof.

Applejack was baffled at the moment with her choice. "I..."

"There you are!" We unexpectedly heard Applebloom exclaim. We spotted her walking inside. "I've been lookin' all over! Did you find out what's in the tonic?"

Applejack looked absolutely troubled. She glanced over to me, and then to the brothers, whom reacted confidently. After looking once more at the tonic, she sighed heavily and responded. "Honestly, Applebloom... as long as it works, I... don't suppose it really matters."

"Well, if it doesn't matter to you, then it doesn't matter to me either, sis." Applebloom reacted in the way I thought she would, since Applejack was her role model after all…

Applejack smiled back at her, but immediately released a worried frown when turning away from her to walk out. As always, I wasn't too sure how to react myself in the given situation. The choice that was given wasn't something that could be answered on the spot. It needed to be thought over, so I felt Applejack's reaction was appropriate. Either way, I only followed after her, having the plan of talking it over with her later on.

"That's the spirit!" Flim encouraged from the tent as we left.

"Come back anytime!" Flam shared, waving along with his brother.

After Applebloom had gone to bed for the night, I stayed with Applejack in her room to discuss about what to ultimately do with the tonic situation.

"So…are you really thinking about…just letting it go?" I asked her.

"I don't know…" She replied with uncertainty. "What they said back there really got to me. Who am I to take somepony's happiness because of what I think."

"But you said it yourself." I recalled. "If Granny Smith ends up doing something dangerous, there's no way a fake tonic is going to keep her safe."

"I know." She acknowledged. "But…she's just so happy swimmin'. Maybe she knows her limits?"

"I don't know." I felt jumbled about it as well, and plopped down next to Applejack on the bed. "You know what? Maybe you're right."

"Really?" Applejack questioned a little surprisingly.

"Yeah…I mean…" I thought a little and remembered back to their first visit. "Last time they were here, it was Ponyville that drew them away, remember? When everypony tasted their messed up cider, they complained and caused them to leave. If it really causes a problem in Ponyville, I'm pretty sure everyone will let them know and scare them out again if they have to. As of right now, though, I guess I would just keep Granny Smith from doing anything extreme." I rolled my eyes around the room. "Casual swimming should be fine."

Applejack managed to grin a bit. "Hearin' you say that makes me feel a little better about the decision I made… Thanks."

I smiled in response as I looked over to her. "You should probably sleep on it. You'll probably feel a lot better in the morning."

"Uh-huh." She nodded. "I will."

I stood up to prepare to leave. "Goodnight, Applejack." I mentioned and wrapped a hoof around her for a farewell embrace.

When I pulled away, she smiled lightly and a bit tiredly as well. "Night."

I turned and began walking out the room until I remembered something else from earlier today. "Oh, and…" I placed a hoof on the part of her wall near her door. "…thanks…" I turned my head towards her. "…for saving my life today."

She chuckled lightly. "Anytime, partner."

I felt a little sheepish with my last smile. Nevertheless, I nodded and then proceeded to head back home to sleep.

In the next day, I headed to the swimming hole, thinking I'd find Applejack there. However, something preoccupied my mind during the walk. I realized that I didn't remember visiting Spirit the night before. I didn't even remember being on the balcony with her. It was just like as soon as I went to sleep, I dreamt regularly. No ice cream intermission in between. It got me a little worried, but I decided I would focus on that next after Applejack's issue was resolved.

I heard water splashing, which meant a good sign that she was there. However, I noticed she was actually sitting quietly on a swing while watching the other members of her family play around in the swimming hole, including Granny Smith.

"How are you doing?" I asked, taking a seat next to her.

"I'm fine, I guess…" She returned but didn't take her eyes off of those in the water. "But…I'm kind of finding it hard to relax…"

"Hm." I stood up and placed myself behind Applejack to lay my hooves on the ropes of the swing. "Usually, I'd think you'd be in the water yourself to keep a better eye on Granny Smith." I mentioned as I began to lightly push her.

"I don't feel like swimmin'…" She replied gloomily.

"Still worried about whether or not to say that the tonic really doesn't do anything?" I guessed.

She sighed after being reminded. "I feel like it's somethin' I need to take care of now. Waitin' just seems to be buggin' me all over."

"I guess I understand that." I responded. "I wish there was more I could do to help."

"Hey, Granny! Think you can buck me over the water?" We heard Applebloom exclaim over at the water.

"I don't see why not!" Granny Smith positively accepted the challenge. "Come on, Big Mac, toss her this way!"

In a sign of distress, Applejack threw herself from the seat of the swing to gallop over to the water. "Granny, wait!"

"Woo-hoo-hoo!" Granny Smith expressed, stopping Applejack in her tracks. Granny Smith tossed Applebloom delightfully in flips over the water as the two laughed. It amazed me to know how much strength and stamina Granny Smith actually had, considering the tonic was really fake. "Uh, what were you sayin', dear?"

"Granny, don't you think you should take it kinda easy?" Applejack concerningly suggested as she walked backwards to sit back on the swing.

"I've been takin' it easy for too long!" Granny Smith replied as she continued to hold Applebloom on her shoulders, whom decided to later dive back into the water. "And now, thanks to that Flim Flam Tonic, I don't have to!"

"Granny, you think I could be an aquapony like you?" Applebloom asked with soft excitement.

"Of course you can, sapling. There's nothin' to it but to do it!" Granny Smith answered, which, for some reason, brought Applejack to place a hoof to her mouth in thought.

"Well, the Ponyville swim meet is comin' up." Applebloom brought up as they all began getting out of the water. "We could enter together! A legendary water pony like you? We'd be a cinch to win!"

"Mm, ee, uh, I don't know..." Granny Smith proved to be uncertain about the idea. "Bein' back in the water is one thing, but a competition is a pony of a different color." That was actually a good thing for Applejack. Knowing Granny Smith wasn't so keen on doing dangerous stuff, it could probably allow her to breathe easier.

"Oh. Okay." Applebloom lowered her head down sadly once hearing the news.

I noticed Applejack immediately have this sort of guilty look on her face. Taking a moment before speaking, she surprised me a little with what she said. "I don't know, Granny. A swim meet sounds pretty safe." She encouraged and got off the swing to walk towards Granny Smith. "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!" Granny Smith changed her mind. "All we need now is more tonic!" She pulled out a bottle of tonic she had apparently been keeping inside the headpiece of her swimwear.

Applejack only looked away with an uneasy and forced grin.

I stayed with Applejack when she tagged along with Granny Smith to buy more tonic. However, Applejack was silent the whole way through. I could tell she had a lot of worries and stress in mind.

"I'm a little surprised that you suggested Granny Smith to go to the pool…" I told her softly.

"I don't know if it was the right thing to do." She worriedly responded. "But when I saw the look on Applebloom's face…I don't know…I just said it…"

I sighed. "Flim and Flam are better at selling pressure instead of useful products…" I felt a little resentment towards them.

"Welcome, friends, and step right up! The next show starts in five minutes!" I heard Flam announce and looked up to see a huge line of ponies wanting to buy a bottle of their tonic.

"But why not buy your tonic now and avoid the rush?" Flim used an old trick from the book of selling products.

"Right this way, good sir!" Flam led, speaking to who I could now tell was Silver Shill in another costume. That guy was really starting to bug me now.

"We'll take the whole case!" Granny Smith shouted out, catching everypony's attention as she dropped the large bag of bits she had been carrying.

Flim and Flam walked up, noticing the huge sack of money to add to their profit. They both looked at each other in accomplishment and grinned in interest.

"Are you saying this stuff actually works?" A pony that had her back legs on a wheelbarrow for support and a bandage on her head asked.

"It seems to work for Granny…" Applejack tried to answer in the most honest way she could.

"You heard it here first, folks!" Flim shouted out, using Applejack's statement to their advantage. "Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic is Granny Smith-tested and Applejack-approved!"

Applejack formed a certain face that clearly revealed she wasn't expecting that.

"If Applejack says it works, that's good enough for me!" The same pony held up her money.

"Hey!" I tried intervening to make clear that Flim and Flam actually took Applejack's words out of context, but everypony rushed through to make their purchase. It was too loud and busy to get anypony's attention.

The crowd continued rushing past us in a close manner.

"Move your caboose!" We heard Granny Smith from behind the large group of ponies. She was already ready to leave with her bottles of tonic close by. "We gotta a competition to win!"

From there on, there was nothing much to do than to head to the pool with Applejack for the competition.

Ponies were seen diving and performing watersport tricks, which is what they would be graded on by the three judges in a stand on top of the audience. Applebloom and Granny Smith were busy preparing themselves for whatever they had to contribute with. "Hoo-ha, hee-hee, ha-hoo-ha!" They somewhat chanted as they warmed up and stretched.

"Just remember, you two." Applejack stated as she approached them. "The most important thing is to be safe and have fun, right?" She questioned with a worried grin.

"Fiddlesticks!" Granny Smith threw out confidently. "With the routine we've been workin' on, I'll be a plum puddin' if we don't win this thing!"

"Uh... good luck, then!" Applejack seemed to not know what else to say.

"Luck? Pfft, who needs luck?" Granny Smith returned with Applebloom following her attitude. "We got tonic on our side!" Granny Smith pulled out another bottle of tonic she had stashed in her headpiece.

"Flim Flam's Magical Curative Tonic!" Flam specified from afar.

"Get your Applejack-approved tonic!" Flim brought in attention to the stand by using Applejack's statement yet again. "Granny Smith drinks it – why shouldn't you?" He was going too far bringing Applejack into this.

Applejack sighed after observing at what was going on at the stand, along with Granny Smith drinking the last of her next bottle of tonic. "Right…"

"Now, if'n you'll excuse us, we got some swimmin' to do!" Granny Smith stated, having Applejack and I remove ourselves from the performing area.

"I think I'm going to see if being a Prince holds anything up to what they're doing…" I mentioned to Applejack. I was already starting to head to Flim and Flam's stand until Applejack stopped me.

"Don't!" Applejack held out a hoof and released a stressed sigh. "Let's just…try to breathe for a minute and watch what Granny Smith and Applebloom do."

Almost reluctantly, I turned back and stood near Applejack. "I'm getting really worried about you, you know?" I expressed as she continued to observe the performance Granny Smith and Applebloom put up. "Flim and Flam are putting everypony's trust on you now, so if their product fails, which it probably will soon, they're going to use you to take the fall. You don't want that, do you?"

"I…" Her head lowered in thought. "…I don't know… I can't think straight right now… Everythin' is happening so fast. So many things to worry about. Sometimes, I don't even know what's going on anymore." Our conversation was momentarily halted when everypony watching the performance cheered out loudly. "Well, I'll be..." Applejack shared a bit in astonished after noticing the immense positive feedback the two Apples had received.

Afterwards, they received their trophy immediately. Then, their pictures were taken and were questioned by a photographer. "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 Smith directed.

"That's Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic, to be precise." Flim stated while he and his brother joined in with the two to advertise their product.

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

"This has gotta stop!" She continued, appearing to be fed up with the tension that had been building up in her. "If ponies keep believin' that tonic can do things it can't, who knows what'll happen?"

“Then you have to tell them all the truth even if the consequences are bad, Applejack.” I encouraged her.

"Maybe something like that?" Silver Shill, who was now selling those bottles of tonic himself, notified Applejack.

"Granny!" Applejack cried out and ran over to the platform where the long-distanced diving board was at. I looked up to see that Applejack was frantically panicking because Granny Smith was about to dive off at such a height that her brittle bones were no match for. I rushed after her. "What in blazes does she think she's doin'?!" She inquired about to Applebloom, whom was bringing over a small pool of water that only a little foal could enjoy.

"Granny's gonna break the Equestria high divin' record!" Applebloom explained happily.

Applejack noticed the small pool and the height Granny Smith was diving from. "Land sakes!" She ran over to the ladder of the platform while I remained standing and kept an eye on Granny Smith. At the top of the diving board, she proceeded to take a swig of her tonic. As I noticed her preparing to jump off, I quickly readied and hoped to catch her successfully with magic before she hit the ground. At the same time, I was worrying greatly that we'd see something tragic instead of stunning all over the news.

My heart began pounding the second I saw her lay on air. She was coming down fast, and I could only hope with all my might that she'd be caught with my magic. However, that didn't happen. Fortunately, neither did the worst case scenario either. She had been caught on with rope and dangled right in front of the pool she was apparently supposed to land or dive in. Still seeing the two try to work was absolutely and ridiculously insane. Applejack was at the top, holding her with her strength from the impact of the drop.

"Now what in tarnation did you do that for?!" Granny Smith bitterly asked, believing that the tonic would really keep her invincible from harm.

Applejack released the rope once she had safely stepped back on the ground. "That was the most fool-pony thing I've ever seen anypony do in all my life!" Applejack argued back. She ran over to the ladder and quickly slid down to meet with us. "You can't do a dive like that!"

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

"Twenty times, by my count." Flim horribly encouraged.

"Thirty, with a favorable breeze." Flam also added into the ill-mannered intention, holding up another bottle of the tonic.

"Shut up!" I exclaimed out of anger, accidentally shooting out a beam towards the bottle of the tonic and shattering it to pieces.

The area grew quiet, and Applejack was left staring as the beverage inside fell towards the ground. I turned towards her, and was caught motionless for the same time she was. I felt a connection being made inside and my heart endured this weird feeling. I was finally able to focus once again when Applejack spoke out loud.

"I hate to disappoint everypony, but there's no way Granny could have made that dive, because this tonic is a fake!" She pointed out the shattered pieces and spilt liquid of the tonic that laid on the ground.

The entire crowd gasped.

"But you gave it your stamp of approval!" The pony from before mentioned.

"Are you saying you lied?" Another pony had questioned from the crowd.

"...I am." She submitted willingly…but the way I saw it was different. Technically, she lied about lying without really knowing about it. After another gasp, Applejack went on to give an explanation. "I didn't mean to! But everypony seemed so much happier, I couldn't bring myself to tell you when I found out the tonic wasn't real." She grabbed ahold of her hat and lowered it respectfully. "I know it was wrong. I just hope with time, I can win back everypony's trust."

"Hang on, Applejack." I intervened and began to speak clearly so everypony could hear what I had to say. "You didn't lie." The crowd now reacted with a big "Huh?".

“You didn’t completely say that it worked. You just said you thought it work which is different.” I explained. “On the other hand, the tonic had nothing to do with that. Granny Smith clearly had a fear of water for a long time but when she decided to take a chance on her own, she overcame her fear and she forgot what she was capable of in the water which is why she’s now comfortable in the water. Your tonic had nothing to do with that. It’s the truth.” she looked at the brothers, whom were now looking around nervously and pulling on their bowties.

“She’s right you know...” Huh? Rantaro? When did he come here?

Flim and Flam halted at him, “You....” Flim growled.

“Yes me, and little miss mystery is right. Your tonic cannot cure anything. Only she can do that because she was created for that purpose, the only your tonic can do is nothing. I’ve been watching this huge scam the whole time. I figured that Applejack would say a lie to make everyone happy but in the end she would stick to what she says the best; honesty.”

"Hold on a second…" Applebloom possibly saved them from being mauled right there as she turned back the attention of the crowd. "If the tonic is a fake, then how come Granny can swim again, and what about all that aquabatics stuff we just did?" She questioned.

Applejack shared a thanking kind of look to me after what I had said and then went on to answer Applebloom. “Like Sarah said, Granny just forgot what she was capable of and it just took some confidence to realize she had it in her all along." She also walked over to Granny Smith to exchange a hug with her.

"As cheesy as it sounds, you really just need to believe in yourself and mean it." I included in. "Like pain, it's really all in the mind. But that doesn't mean you can be completely invulnerable to harm."

"And tellin' ponies your tonic can do things it can't is just wrong!" Applejack stated angrily while glaring right at Flim and Flam.

"But you just said it boosts confidence!" Flim cunningly fought back.

"No, she didn't!" I furiously shot out, fed up with their tricks.

"And that's not all it does, folks—" Flam merely ignored my take to try to distract everypony's ears with their loud talk.

"Yes, it is!" Another pony brave enough to cut in exclaimed. "In fact, it's not a tonic at all!" It was Silver Shill, who began removing the uniform he had been wearing for the tonic. "I know, 'cause I helped make it!" Flim and Flam both began sweating nervously as their own employee was siding against them. "Watching everything that just happened right now, 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 hemmed in. "But if that belief is based on a lie, eventually it's gonna lead to real trouble."

"Thank you, Applejack." Silver Shill approached us and held out a shiny bit. "I got this through dishonest means. That was a mistake I won't be making again! I'd like you to have it…" He placed the bit on Applejack's hoof. "…as a reminder of how you helped me finally see the truth."

"I don't know..." Applejack felt uncomfortable accepting the bit.

"Oh, don't worry." Silver Shill assured. "I'll track down the pony I sold that worthless tonic to and give him another bit to replace this one! Honest."

Trusting him, she released a small smile but then turned to Granny Smith to speak with her. "I'm sorry, Granny. I hope this doesn't mean you'll stop swimmin'."

"Why in tarnation would I do that?" Granny Smith asked in such a tone as if Applejack's question was ridiculous to ask. "I just can't believe those two salesponies had me believin' I could near fly!" She looked towards the crowd until another question raised to her head. "Hey, where'd they go?"

Everypony looked around to try to find them, when...

“CHUUUUUU...!”

“AAAAAAHHH...!”

I smirked knowing my Pikachu found them first, “Found them..” I smirked and everypony laughed.

To Be Continued...