Ruby Frost finally opens her stall. She’s had her Mother run the shop while she’s in the market with her little sister, Snowsweet. “I sure hope ma can handle the shop all on her own while we’re here at the market.” Snowsweet says
“Don’t you worry. Ma is the most diligent pony I know.” Ruby Frost says
“Even more than Jonamac?” Snowsweet asks, looking up at Ruby Frost
Ruby Frost rolls her eyes, “Oh please. Our big brother is lazier than an ant on a cold day. I almost feel nervous leaving him to tend to the Orchard while we’re in Ponyville.”
Snowsweet giggles.
Ruby Frost smiles at her little sister. She hears the hooves of an approaching pony and prepares herself to talk business, “Howdy there! Anything I can get you?”
“Maybe. I’m just wondering if your apples are better than Applejack’s.” Bon Bon says.
“Applejack’s? What do you mean?” Ruby Frost asks.
“Applejack is selling apples on the other side of the marketplace.” Bon Bon says
“She’s WHAT?!?!” Ruby Frost yells out.
Ruby Frost and Snowsweet make their way through the marketplace as Ruby Frost hears Applejack’s voice, “Apples! Get your fresh apples here!”
“Delicious and nutritious!” Applebloom, who’s standing next to her, says.
Ruby Frost scowls forward, despite not knowing the exact subject she’s scowling at, “Applejack! Just what do you think you’re doing?”
Applejack scowls, “Just sellin’ apples.”
“I thought we had an agreement that only I could sell apples in town.” Ruby Frost says.
“No, the deal was that you could sell apples here in Ponyville so long as WE don’t open up our own shop. We said nothing about opening a stall in the marketplace.” Applejack says.
“A stall is basically the same thing as a store.” Ruby Frost says.
Applejack leans closer to Ruby Frost, “Is not!”
“Is too!” Ruby Frost says, leaning in closer herself.
“Is not!” Applejack says
“Is too!” Ruby Frost says.
Applebloom and Snowsweet look at each other and then at their two big sisters, “Why don’t you ask Granny Smith and Auntie Wild Crisp?”
Applejack and Ruby Frost go wide-eyed and turn to their little sisters in sync, “Absolutely not!”
“If we get Granny Smith and Wild Crisp involved it’ll be…another Apple Family Feud.” Applejack says, shivering.
Ruby Frost gulps.
Snowsweet lifts an eyebrow, “Apple…Family…Feud?”
“It was an old Feud that occurred within the entirety of the Apple Family. So old that when it happened, I still had my vision.” Ruby Frost says.
“Well what happened?” Applebloom asks.
It was a 4 year long squabble. Between the Allied orchards of Sweet Apple Acres and Galabella Acres…” Ruby Frost says.
“...against the allied orchards of Appleloosa and Applebred.” Applejack says.
“Well what was it about?” Snowsweet asks.
“With a Family as large as ours having the same profession all around, tensions are bound to happen.” Ruby Frost says.
“Appleloosa wanted control over the Canterlot Marketplace. But with them being so far from Canterlot, Sweet Apple Acres felt it was unfair.” Applejack says.
“What followed was the massacre of over 600 Apple Trees from Macintosh Hills all the way to Foal Mountain as the two tried to run each other out of business.” Ruby Frost says.
“It only ended after each orchard barely had enough apples to keep running their orchards. The four heads of the orchards met together in order to document a Peace Treaty. Winesap, from Applebred. Wild Crisp, from Galabella Acres. Sundance, from Appleloosa. And of course, Granny Smith from Sweet Apple Acres.” Applejack says.
“Together, those four ponies wrote the Treaty of Appleloosa, ensuring that no Apple Family Feud would ever happen again.” Ruby Frost says.
“Woah!” Snowsweet and Applebloom say in sync.
“So…why can’t you get Granny Smith and Auntie Wild Crisp?” Applebloom asks, placing her hoof on her chin.
Applejack puts her face close to Applebloom’s, “Because, we want to do whatever we can to avoid another feud.”
“Which is why we have to settle this between US!” Ruby Frost says, squinting her eyes, even though her gaze is only somewhat in the direction of Applejack.
Applejack squints her eyes at Ruby Frost in response, “Yes we will!”
Applebloom and Snowsweet look at each other with unsure eyes.
Ruby Frost shakes Snowsweet violently as she attempts to wake her up, “Snowsweet! Wake up!”
Snowsweet’s eyes blink rapidly as she tries to comprehend her surroundings. She turns to Ruby Frost, still with the tired in her eyes, “Sis? What is it?”
“We’re going to Sweet Apple Acres.” Ruby Frost says with a smile.
Snowsweet turns to her window, seeing that it’s dark outside, “Ruby, Celestia hasn’t even raised the sun yet. It’s still dark outside.”
“It is?!” Ruby Frost says, surprised.
“Yes.” Snowsweet says, annoyed.
“Perfect! I was hoping it was. Come on! The earlier the better!” Ruby Frost says, smiling with a determined expression as she pulls Snowsweet’s sheets off with her mouth.
Snowsweet grunts, “Why are we going to Sweet Apple Acres anyway?”
“We’re gonna go and sabotage Applejack!” Ruby Frost says, smirking.
Snowsweet rolls her eyes, “Leave me out of it, sis.” Snowsweet grabs her covers, throwing them back over herself.
Ruby Frost scowls, “Snowsweet, I can’t do this by myself. I need somepony who can see.”
Snowsweet buries her face into her pillow and grunts before quickly jumping off her bed and walking to the door, “Fine!”
Ruby Frost smiles, “Thanks, little sis.”
Snowsweet rolls her eyes, “Whatever.”
The two sisters make their way to Sweet Apple Acres and walk through the dense collection of apple trees, many varying in variety. Snowsweet turns to her sister, pondering why she’s holding a can of paint. The two stop next to a tree that’s not too far from the Sweet Apple Acres house. Ruby Frost places the can, “Alright, Snowsweet, here’s the plan: We’re gonna dump this here can of paint on this tree.”
“Why would we do that?” Snowsweet asks.
“To send a message to Applejack and Sweet Apple Acres.” Ruby Frost says before squatting, “Now hop on my back. I’ll boost you up there and you can pour the can of paint.”
Snowsweet curves her eyebrows as she unenthusiastically climbs onto her big sister, holding the can of paint in her mouth. Ruby Frost bounces her body up, launching her sister up into the tree, where she grabs and climbs onto a branch. “Now just get as much paint as you can on it.” Ruby Frost says.
Snowsweet swings the can, splashing white paint all over the tree. She drops the can from her mouth and turns to Ruby Frost, “Done.”
Ruby Frost smirks, “Perfect. Then let’s get going.” Ruby Frost begins to walk off.
“But…I can’t get down on my own, I need you to catch me.” Snowsweet says.
Ruby Frost turns around, “Well, I can’t. I can’t see you.”
“Well…then what do I do?” Snowsweet asks.
“Climb down.” Ruby Frost says.
Snowsweet looks down, nervously, “I don’t know. I’m pretty high up.”
“It’s perfectly safe. Just watch where you place your hooves.” Ruby Frost says, smiling.
Snowsweet carefully begins climbing down the branches, but her hoof slips and she ends up tumbling down to the ground with a grunt.
“Snowseet! Are you okay?!” Ruby Frost says, rushing to her little sister.
Snowsweet spits out a clod of dirt and scowls, “Sure…I’m fine.” Snowsweet says sarcastically.
“Good, then let’s get going.” Ruby Frost says, walking towards town.
Snowsweet grunts in anger.
Once the sun rose, Ruby Frost began selling apples in the market place when Applejack storms her way, “RUBY!!!”
Ruby Frost smiles, “Howdy cousin, finally give up on your stall? I’ve been having a lot of sales which leads me to believe you haven’t set up yours.”
“I couldn’t set up my stand because I was busy cleaning paint off one of the trees in my orchard!” Applejack says furiously.
“Well that’s certainly peculiar.” Ruby Frost says.
“Don’t play dumb with me you son of an apple. I know it was you, Ruby!” Applejack says, pointing her hoof.
Ruby Frost crosses her front legs and closes her eyes, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Applejack grunts in anger and storms off, “Two can play at that game.”
“Looks like I win.” Ruby mumbles, smirking.
The next day, Wild Crisp storms into Ruby Frost’s room, waking her up, “RUBY! RUBY!”
Ruby Frost quickly sits up as she’s woken up, “Wha-? What is it?!”
“It’s the shop! We’ve been…appled!” Wild Crisp yells out.
“Wha-What?” Ruby Frost says.
Wild Crisp leads Ruby outside the shop, “I know you can’t see it, but there’s apples all over the building. Almost entirely covered.”
“Who would do this?” Snowsweet asks, looking up at her mother.
Ruby Frost places her hoof on her chin and thinks, before she catches a whiff of something. Her eyes widened, “Hold on a moment.” Ruby Frost walks to the wall and scrapes a chunk of apple off the wall. She gives it a sniff before licking it. Her eyes squint as she smacks her lips a bit, trying to discern the taste.
“I guess it was some colts or fillies.” Wild Crisp says.
“No, this ain’t some run of the mill appling. An amateur would use Fuji. Whoever did this knew what they were doing.” Ruby Frost says, showing the mush of apple on her hoof, “Golden Delicious. Whoever did this knows their apples. Golden Delicious is always the best for appling somepony’s house.”
Wild Crisp sighs, “I’ll clean this up.”
Ruby Frost scowls, “Applejack!”
“Applejack?” Snowsweet says.
“C’mon, sis. We need to have a little chat with our cousin.” Ruby Frost says as she makes her way down to the Ponyville Market.
“APPLES! GET YOUR FRESH APPLES HERE!” Applejack yells.
“APPLEJACK!” Ruby Frost yells out.
Applejack turns to Ruby and scowls, “Well well well, lookie who showed their face.”
Ruby Frost scowls, “You appled my shop!”
Applejack walks in front of her stand, meeting Ruby face to face, “Yeah, I did. But only because you damaged one of my trees! We had to have it replaced!”
“I only did that because you wouldn’t stop selling apples in the Market!” Ruby Frost says.
“I have a right to sell apples in the market. This all only ever started because you fussed about it.” Applejack says.
“No, you started it when you set up your stand!” Ruby Frost says, getting closer to Applejack.
“Did not!” Applejack says.
“Did too!” Ruby Frost says.
“Did not!” Applejack says.
“Did too!” Ruby Frost says.
“Did not!” Applejack says.
“Did-” Ruby Frost says.
“ENOUGH!!!” Applebloom and Snowsweet shout, pushing their sisters away from each other.
“Seriously, you two are actin’ like a bunch of foals.” Applebloom says, scowling.
“And that’s coming from us.” Snowsweet says, placing a hoof on her chest.
Applebloom raises her eyebrow at Snowsweet before turning to the two mares, “Y’all could solve all of this if you just talked to Granny Smith and Auntie Wild Crisp.”
“There’s no reason to be squabbling like this.” Snowsweet says.
“There’s nothing they can do about it anyhow. With Aunt Wild Crisp’s Apple store in town, nopony’s going to Sweet Apple Acres in order to buy our apples. We have to have a stall in the market in order to make any sales.” Applejack says.
Ruby Frost goes wide-eyed, “Wait, really?”
“Yeah, nopony’s gonna make the journey all the way to Sweet Apple Acres when they can just go to your store.” Applejack says, curving her eyebrows.
“I’m sorry, Applejack. I didn’t know that Sweet Apple Acres was struggling to make sales. I thought you were just setting up a stall in the market to spite us.” Ruby Frost says.
Applejack smiles, “Now why would I do that? Y’all are family. We may be in the same business, but I don’t want y’all to fail.”
Ruby Frost takes her hat off and holds it to her chest, “I guess I jumped to conclusions on that one.”
“I guess we should get Granny Smith and Aunt Wild Crisp involved, huh?” Applejack suggests, holding out her hoof.
Ruby Frost smiles, “I guess so.”
“That’s what we tried to tell you!” Applebloom and Snowsweet say in sync.
Applejack and Ruby Frost both go to Wild Crisp and Granny Smith, explaining the situation. Prompting a meeting between the two. Both Granny Smith and Wild Crisp finally decide on what to do. Granny Smith and Wild Crisp exit their meeting room, where the members of both orchards are waiting. “Wild Crisp and I have decided to establish a partnership between Sweet Apple Acres and Galabella Apple Store.”
“Sweet Apple Acres will supply the shop with half of its goods and we’ll all share the profits 50/50.” Wild Crisp says.
“Well would you listen to that. Everypony wins.” Applejack says.
Ruby Frost chuckles, “Yeah, I don’t know why we didn’t do this in the beginning. I don’t ever wanna fight with you like that, cousin.”
Applejack smiles with her eyes closed, “Same here.”
“Well I think a very important lesson was learned today, huh?” Wild Crisp says.
“Mhm.” Ruby Frost and Applejack say in sync while nodding.
“That’s good. Because you’re both running the shop for the next week for appling it.” Wild Crisp says, sternly.
The two ponies flinch in surprise as they hear this.
Wild Crisp walks up to the two mares, “Now get to work, you two!”
“Yes, ma’am.” The two sigh.