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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
White Lies
“Come on out, AB.”
The mound of covers trembled, a groan rising from its cottony depths. “Ain’t no way, AJ. Ah don’t wanna!”
With a roll of her eyes, Applejack set the hated brown bottle on the counter. “Ah’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer, young filly.”
“No! That stuff tastes terrible.”
“It ain’t my fault ya went and ate all yer Nightmare Night candy in one sitting.” Applejack took the bedspread between her teeth and gave a firm tug. There was some resistance, an indention appearing where a certain filly’s teeth tried to pull back.
The tug of war was over quickly: Applejack set her legs wide and gave a powerful jerk that snatched the sheets away. A lump of yellow filly toppled backwards, nearly careening off the other side of the bed. Apple Bloom sat up with a scowl, her glare hindered by the droop in her shoulders and eyebrows. She clutched her barrel with a wince.
Applejack spat the covers out and glowered at the filly. “Gonna come quietly?”
“Ah can just sleep it off,” Apple Bloom said, rubbing a canon beneath her muzzle with a sniff.
“Ya’ll got school.” Applejack snatched the bottle and thrust it at her sister. “This ain’t no flu, it’s just you staying up all night and eating candy. Ya knew better, and now yer gonna pay the consequences.”
The filly promptly wilted, her ears folding back as she examined her hooves with a sour expression. “Ah was just tryin’ ta finish mah crusade plans.” She perked up and examined the bottle with hopeful eyes. “Maybe it’s a new brand? Y’know, that tastes better?”
Applejack ground her teeth, but tried to channel her inner Fluttershy and keep patient. “No, it’s the same stuff we always use.”
Apple Bloom’s face twisted into an ugly sneer and her eyes fell to her hooves once more. After a moment’s pause, she dropped to her barrel and huffed. “Ah wish Granny Smith were awake. She’s way better at this.”
“What the hay is that supposed to mean?”
At first the filly refused to answer. She kicked the sheets and grumbled, “At least she’d lie to make me feel better.”
Applejack may as well have been kicked in the gut. She nearly dropped the bottle, eyebrows shooting up as she gaped at her sister. “She… she would?”
Not noticing her sister’s sudden duress, Apple Bloom nodded and dropped her chin to the mattress. “At least she knew a good lie from a bad one.”
It abruptly dawned upon Applejack that an easy solution to their current impasse had been presented... and she’d completely missed it. She wondered if taking a sip of the bottle’s reviled contents would make her insides stop twisting. “AB, you know Ah’m not gonna—”
“Ah know, ‘Element of Honesty.’ Don’t help me none, now does it?” Apple Bloom sat up and rubbed her barrel with a grimace, then extended her hoof. She wouldn’t meet her sister’s eye. “Just gimme the stupid stuff so Ah can get it over with.”
Applejack obliged her, using her teeth to remove the cap. She watched, heart heavy as Apple Bloom studied the bottle. The filly’s face scrunched up in determination before she finally took a swift chug. With a gasp and a gag, she offered the bottle back to Applejack, who slowly took it and reset the cap. She gazed listlessly at the medicine. When she was in Apple Bloom’s place and their mother took care of her… it was a truly different experience, wasn’t it?
“Applejack?”
She twitched and looked up. All anger had faded from Apple Bloom’s face, replaced with the wide eyes of concern. “What’s wrong?”
Applejack slumped forward, feeling like a knife had pierced her heart. “Ah’m sorry, AB. Ah wish Ah was better at this kind of thing. Ah wish Ah was more like Granny or—” She bit her lip.
“Hey, where’d this come from?” Apple Bloom moved to the corner of the bed and tried to look her sister in the eye. “Come on, sis, it wasn’t that bad. Honest!”
Such a transparent lie, so innocent. It was almost painful to hear. She looked into Apple Bloom’s eyes, so hopeful and lost, and forced a smile.
“It’s okay, AB.”
Apple Bloom cocked her head. “Really?”
Applejack tried, she really did, but all she could manage was, “Ya’ll get ready for school, now.”
The words tasted like ash.
The mound of covers trembled, a groan rising from its cottony depths. “Ain’t no way, AJ. Ah don’t wanna!”
With a roll of her eyes, Applejack set the hated brown bottle on the counter. “Ah’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer, young filly.”
“No! That stuff tastes terrible.”
“It ain’t my fault ya went and ate all yer Nightmare Night candy in one sitting.” Applejack took the bedspread between her teeth and gave a firm tug. There was some resistance, an indention appearing where a certain filly’s teeth tried to pull back.
The tug of war was over quickly: Applejack set her legs wide and gave a powerful jerk that snatched the sheets away. A lump of yellow filly toppled backwards, nearly careening off the other side of the bed. Apple Bloom sat up with a scowl, her glare hindered by the droop in her shoulders and eyebrows. She clutched her barrel with a wince.
Applejack spat the covers out and glowered at the filly. “Gonna come quietly?”
“Ah can just sleep it off,” Apple Bloom said, rubbing a canon beneath her muzzle with a sniff.
“Ya’ll got school.” Applejack snatched the bottle and thrust it at her sister. “This ain’t no flu, it’s just you staying up all night and eating candy. Ya knew better, and now yer gonna pay the consequences.”
The filly promptly wilted, her ears folding back as she examined her hooves with a sour expression. “Ah was just tryin’ ta finish mah crusade plans.” She perked up and examined the bottle with hopeful eyes. “Maybe it’s a new brand? Y’know, that tastes better?”
Applejack ground her teeth, but tried to channel her inner Fluttershy and keep patient. “No, it’s the same stuff we always use.”
Apple Bloom’s face twisted into an ugly sneer and her eyes fell to her hooves once more. After a moment’s pause, she dropped to her barrel and huffed. “Ah wish Granny Smith were awake. She’s way better at this.”
“What the hay is that supposed to mean?”
At first the filly refused to answer. She kicked the sheets and grumbled, “At least she’d lie to make me feel better.”
Applejack may as well have been kicked in the gut. She nearly dropped the bottle, eyebrows shooting up as she gaped at her sister. “She… she would?”
Not noticing her sister’s sudden duress, Apple Bloom nodded and dropped her chin to the mattress. “At least she knew a good lie from a bad one.”
It abruptly dawned upon Applejack that an easy solution to their current impasse had been presented... and she’d completely missed it. She wondered if taking a sip of the bottle’s reviled contents would make her insides stop twisting. “AB, you know Ah’m not gonna—”
“Ah know, ‘Element of Honesty.’ Don’t help me none, now does it?” Apple Bloom sat up and rubbed her barrel with a grimace, then extended her hoof. She wouldn’t meet her sister’s eye. “Just gimme the stupid stuff so Ah can get it over with.”
Applejack obliged her, using her teeth to remove the cap. She watched, heart heavy as Apple Bloom studied the bottle. The filly’s face scrunched up in determination before she finally took a swift chug. With a gasp and a gag, she offered the bottle back to Applejack, who slowly took it and reset the cap. She gazed listlessly at the medicine. When she was in Apple Bloom’s place and their mother took care of her… it was a truly different experience, wasn’t it?
“Applejack?”
She twitched and looked up. All anger had faded from Apple Bloom’s face, replaced with the wide eyes of concern. “What’s wrong?”
Applejack slumped forward, feeling like a knife had pierced her heart. “Ah’m sorry, AB. Ah wish Ah was better at this kind of thing. Ah wish Ah was more like Granny or—” She bit her lip.
“Hey, where’d this come from?” Apple Bloom moved to the corner of the bed and tried to look her sister in the eye. “Come on, sis, it wasn’t that bad. Honest!”
Such a transparent lie, so innocent. It was almost painful to hear. She looked into Apple Bloom’s eyes, so hopeful and lost, and forced a smile.
“It’s okay, AB.”
Apple Bloom cocked her head. “Really?”
Applejack tried, she really did, but all she could manage was, “Ya’ll get ready for school, now.”
The words tasted like ash.