//------------------------------// // Memories Both Vivid and Faded // Story: Business is Good // by Flint Easthoof //------------------------------// A/N Thanks to my good buddy Ascended Wings, this chapter will include some pictures for your viewing pleasure. “Easy-eyes, Eastern, Ebony... Where the hell is Easthoof? He should be in here between Eastern and Ebony...” Ascended Wings stood up and pushed open the door, the tome clenched tightly in his teeth. He trotted up to the receptionist and slammed the book down in front of her sleeping form startling her to an alert and awake state. “HEY! What gives?” “Easthoof, Flint Easthoof. Why is he not in the ledger?” “Uh, probably because he doesn't live in Ponyville, duh.” The receptionist eyed him angrily and set her head back down. “Then where is the mayor?” “Upstairs in her office, go have fun.” The receptionist waved a hoof dismissively and closed her eyes. Turning tail, Ascended trotted up the wooden staircase to locate the mayors office to share a few choice words with her. “I. Am a Maaaaare, of constant sorrooooooow!” A rather unpleasant tone was emitting from a nearby room, one that resembled singing but was so poorly done, one could not do it justice with such a title. “An I... forgot the woooords to this soooong!” Ascended located the source of the racket and nudged the door open. Behind her desk sat the Mayor with a half empty bottle of Whiskey and a face flushed deep red, she seemed to be bobbing back and forth trying to find her equilibrium. “There had better be a damn good reason you're drunk off your flank at this time of the day Ms. Mare.” “There'd better be a damn... a damn good reason you're not over here taking adva... vantage of me... Miiiister Wings.” ~ This one fits better in the previous chapter but eh. “Sure hope you're enjoying the high life Spitty. Wish I could've made it to the big times with you.” Flint studied the Golden pin on his lapel, it still shone like the day he got it, pristine and perfect. The pin was in fact very simple in design but held a higher sentimental value than some other more intricate pieces, a bolt of lightning with a pair of wings extruding from the top, the very same symbol used by the Wonderbolts. “And to think I was so close to making the cut, but Soarin beat me by a mile, that's for damn sure.” He stood up and sauntered over to the table where his pack of Mareboro cigarettes rested. He flicked the box open and pulled one out. “I should really stop smoking these.” Shrugging he leaned in close to the flame heating the pot and lit his smoke. “But I don't really want to.” “So you ALMOST became a Wonderbolt, is that what I'm hearing?” Rainbow Dash stood in the doorway of the shed a mocking smug plastered across her face. “The hell? Do you know how to knock?” Flint carried a look of utter surprise as Dash casually glanced around the room. “No. But you told me to meet you here, and you weren't in the house so I figured I'd check in this shed. You didn't answer my question though.” Flint eyed the young mare before he spoke. “Yeah, almost. Soarin is way better than me though, if he hadn't been there I would probably be living it up in Canterlot or somethin' right about now. No hard feelings on my end though.” “You know, I'm next in line to become a Wonderbolt.” The polychromatic mare stood proud as if she expected a hail of praise from the sarcastic stallion. After he failed to do as she hoped her expression returned to normal. “Is that so? Tell me, what makes you think you can make it? Sure you're fast, but you gotta be smart too, it's not just a bunch of loops and twists, it's all about synchronization and teamwork.” If he hadn't known any better, Flint could've sworn that if looks could kill he'd be six feet under this very moment. “Yah, I know.” Rainbow snapped. “I can work in a team just fine, in fact I do better that way.” “Damn, calm your ovaries you crazy filly.” Flint reached into his jacket and produced his flask. “Take a drink, maybe that'll calm you down a bit.” “I'm good, it's only 3 in the afternoon anyway, not drinking time yet.” Flint laughed quietly to himself, here this mare was about to make a business deal to acquire alcohol and she wasn't even going to drink in the process. “I'm not sure if I can sell my product to somepony who ain't even willing to try it first.” The smirk he flashed Dash both aggravated her and somehow managed to rouse a sense of attraction. “I... Okay, not too much though. I, uh... I gotta train later.” If it weren't more obvious she was lying Flint would've thought she had a stuttering problem. He poured a bit of Cider into a shot glass and stared at the liquid for a bit. “Take a sit down, you ain't doin' anything later.” Dash obliged and slowly sat back on her haunches next to Flint. “So tell me. Why is it that a young mare like you wants to purchase some vile concoction like this?” Flint lifted the jug to exaggerate his point. “You don't need to worry about that.” Reaching over, she took the shot glass and quickly threw back its contents. The expression on her face told Flint everything he needed to know about her and cider. “I don't think I can sell this to you.” “What?! Why the hay not?” “Because for starters, you can barely keep it down.” After seeing the look Dash gave him after his comment he hesitated a bit. “And for two, you don't want to spend your hard earned bits on this... Stuff.” In a huff, Rainbow trudged out of the shack making it painfully obvious that she was infuriated. “And lastly, because I knew that if you really wanted to buy some you wouldn't have left like that...” ~ Applejack paced back and forth in her bedroom racking her brain and trying to find an explanation as to how she got pregnant, and when for that matter. Minutes passed and she was no closer to coming up with a solution. She collapsed to the floor and gazed under her bed, there underneath the mattress sat an empty jug of Hard Cider. All the pieces had finally come together. She couldn't remember because she was inebriated at the time, the last time she had seen him was roughly six months ago and to top it all off HE was a pegasus, just like her foal. “Ya dirty winged mule.” She suddenly remembered something that would've helped her figure it out sooner, the only morning she ever woke up with a hangover she vaguely remembered a stallion trying to sneak out of her room. She stood up and quickly nudged her door open scaring the wits out of a curious Applebloom. “Sorry Applebloom, Ah got some business to take care of!” With that she rushed out of the house and in the general direction of Flints home. “When Ah get through with him I swear...”